The pioneer Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. Moses Ekpo has welcomed the decision of the Musical Copyright Society Nigeria Ltd/Gte (MCSN) to open a branch office in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital.
Dr Ekpo who is also the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, was delighted to receive a team of MCSN delegation led by the Chief Executive Officer of the Society, Mr. Mayo Ayilaran when they paid a courtesy call on him at his Abak residence in the state recently. Other members of the team included Mr. Louis Udoh, General Manager (Licensing Operations), National Enforcement and Compliance Consultant, Mr. Obi Ezeilo and MCSN’s state Consultant, Dr. Unwana Ibanga. The delegation was in the State to inspect a new office accommodation provided to the Society by the Akwa Ibom State government.
Dr. Ekpo who expressed joy at the news that MCSN was in the state preparatory to opening a branch office in the state capital went through memory lane to recall the events from the beginning of the Nigerian copyright system and its evolution and commended MCSN for its commitment in ensuring that creators benefit from their intellectual property, urging the Society to continue operating with transparency and accountability. He said, “MCSN is getting closer to those who matter –the creators and consumers of music”
The pioneer DG of NCC encouraged the Society to continue expanding its presence across Nigeria to enhance effective copyright administration nationwide. Dr. Ekpo who remains a respected voice in the creative industry, assured MCSN of his full and continued support, expressing his confidence that the Akwa Ibom State Government will fully back MCSN’s operations in the state.
Mr. Ayilaran in response thanked Dr. Ekpo for his fatherly role in the development of copyright in Nigeria and his ongoing support of the creative industry. He tagged Dr. Ekpo as the “Father of Copyright in Nigeria” and reiterated MCSN’s commitment in ensuring that the vision of having a virile and beneficial copyright system is realized for Nigerian creators.
The visit to the state was in continuation of the expansion programme of MCSN which intends to open a branch office in Uyo to serve music consumers and creators in that part of South-South zone soon. The branch was contemplated with the active participation of stakeholders in the zone particularly the Akwa Ibom state chapter of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and the state Government that had offered the office accommodation for the take off of the branch office.
The delegation was warmly received by Dr. Unwana Joshua Udo, Director of the Centre for Arts and Culture who commended the Society (MCSN) for its effort in enhancing copyright administration and pledged the state’s commitment to supporting the Society.
Dr. Udo said the Akwa Ibom State Government takes creativity very seriously and has been working with the state chapter of PMAN in ensuring that creator’s rights are respected. He reiterated the government’s commitment in collaborating with MCSN and PMAN in ensuring that musicians and creators in the state benefit from their intellectual property.
At the meeting were prominent leaders and members of the music industry in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, including PMAN Akwa Ibom Governor Comrade (Evang.) Joshua Okon Offiong, his Cross Rivers State counterpart Comrade Efiom Effiong (Rebreed), and PMAN executives and members.
In his remarks, Mr. Ayilaran commended the Akwa Ibom State Government for its hospitality and the evident growth in the state’s creative industry, which he noted starts from the moment one boards the State’s airline, Ibom Air. He also appreciated the state’s support for and cooperation with PMAN, pointing out that the upcoming branch office will bring MCSN closer to creators and users of creative works in the region.
Mr. Ayilaran urged musicians in Akwa Ibom to register and notify the Society of their works and also provide their bank account details, which can now be done seamlessly online from anywhere in the world to enable them to receive royalties for their intellectual property regularly as the world has gone digital. He assured that the Akwa Ibom office would be fully operational before the end of the last quarter of 2024 and that MCSN is committed to establishing similar offices across the country.
