The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has assured the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) of the Federal Ministry of Justice’s continued support in strengthening copyright administration and enforcement across the country.
Fagbemi said the support was essential to creating an enabling environment for Nigeria’s creative and knowledge economy to thrive, noting the growing importance of creativity, innovation and intellectual property to national development.
The minister spoke at the weekend during a special send-off ceremony for former Directors-General and retired directors of the commission.
Represented by the Director of Legal Drafting in the ministry, Patrick Oyor, Fagbemi said the ministry would continue to back initiatives aimed at improving copyright administration and enforcement.
“The Federal Ministry of Justice, under whose supervision the Commission operates, will continue to support efforts to strengthen copyright administration and enforcement and to promote an enabling legal and regulatory environment in which Nigeria’s creative and knowledge economy can flourish.
“As the economic significance of creativity, innovation and intellectual property continues to grow, the work of the Commission will become even more important to our national development.”
Fagbemi urged the NCC to build on the foundations established by successive leaderships while adapting to changes in the copyright landscape.
He identified digital technologies, streaming platforms, artificial intelligence and emerging models of creating, distributing and exploiting creative works as developments presenting both opportunities and challenges for copyright administration.
According to him, the evolving landscape requires strong institutions, forward-looking laws and policies, effective enforcement, innovative regulation and sustained engagement with creators, investors and users of copyrighted works.
He also stressed the importance of drawing on the experience and institutional knowledge of former leaders and senior officers of the commission.
“In meeting these challenges, the experience and institutional wisdom of those who have served before remain valuable resources,” he said.
Fagbemi described the send-off as an occasion focused on gratitude, legacy and institutional memory, noting that the contributions of public servants ultimately become part of the foundation upon which future generations build.
“It is about recognising those who served, preserving institutional memory and reminding those still in service that their own contributions will, in time, become part of the history upon which future generations will build.”
He added that public service was fundamentally about serving the nation and that its value should not be measured solely by the number of years spent in office.
Meanwhile, Tosin Akeredolu, acting Executive Director of the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG), pledged the association’s support for preserving the legacies of the retired officials.
Akeredolu expressed confidence that the former officials would remain available to offer their experience and expertise whenever required.
The President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Usman Akanbi, also reaffirmed the association’s support for the NCC in protecting the copyright and intellectual property rights of Nigerian writers.
Similarly, the Deputy President of the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Isiaq Ajibola, described copyright as a fundamental pillar of publishing and the wider knowledge economy.
Ajibola commended the NCC for its collaboration with the NPA, particularly in the fight against piracy, and congratulated the honourees on their contributions to the commission.
