Organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Nigeria Office in collaboration with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), the event drew representatives from the Association of Movie Producers of Nigeria (AMP), the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), legal experts, policy makers, and international partners.
According to Desmond Utomwen, Publicity Secretary of AMP’s FCT Chapter, the roundtable provided a strategic platform to discuss how performers’ rights can be better protected within Nigeria and across the African continent as AfCFTA reshapes the trade landscape.
Performers as Pillars of Culture and Commerce
In his opening remarks, Dr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, Director of the WIPO Nigeria Office, underscored the centrality of performers to Africa’s cultural and economic fabric.
“Performers are not just entertainers; they are cultural ambassadors, economic contributors, and voices of our shared humanity,” Dr. Moody said. “As AfCFTA liberalises trade across Africa, it must also safeguard those who give life to our creative assets.”
Nigerian Copyright Act 2022: A Turning Point
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of NCC Director-General Dr. John Asein, NCC representative Funmi Adewale hailed the Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022 as a landmark reform for the country’s creative industry.
“For the first time in our legislative history, the Act has elevated performers’ rights to a position of clearer recognition and robust protection,” she stated. “These are not symbolic gestures. They are legal instruments for empowering artistes and growing our creative economy.”
Dr. Asein’s message also emphasised the urgency of harmonising copyright and trade standards across Africa under AfCFTA, warning that performers’ rights must not be sidelined in the continent’s drive for economic integration.
A Call for Equity and Unified Rights Systems
Amb. Dr. Queen Blessing Ebigieson, AMP National President (represented by Desmond Utomwen), stressed the importance of fairness and equal opportunities within the creative ecosystem.
“We are at the threshold of a creative revolution, and practitioners are at its heart,” she said. “Creativity is Nigeria’s new oil — it must be protected, monetised, and traded fairly under AfCFTA.”
Gaps in Protection and Welfare Take Centre Stage
A lively panel session on "Performers’ Rights and the AfCFTA" brought together experts from academia, government, and the entertainment industry. Discussions highlighted persistent gaps in the protection of performers' rights, particularly in the digital space and across national borders.
AGN President Dr. Ejezie Emeka Rollas spoke candidly on performers’ welfare, criticising the lack of unionisation, pensions, and social protections.
“Too many Nigerian artistes live from gig to gig, with no health insurance, no royalties, no safety net,” he said. “We must reverse this trend.”
Academic Insights and Policy Recommendations
Ms. Victoria Onyeagbako, a Doctoral Researcher at Queen Mary University of London, presented forward-looking policy recommendations aimed at bolstering cross-border rights enforcement.
“There must be synergy between national copyright laws and AfCFTA protocols,” she urged. “Performers must be confident that their rights will be respected and enforced wherever their work is used across Africa.”
Consensus on Collective Action
Participants at the event — including artists, Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), copyright lawyers, and AMP and AGN members — called for actionable steps to back the promising legal framework with institutional support and enforcement mechanisms.
The session ended on a hopeful note, with a renewed joint commitment to ensuring that African performers are not marginalised in the evolving trade and intellectual property landscape.
As AfCFTA continues to reshape Africa’s economic identity, stakeholders agree: the creative sector must not only be included — it must be protected, empowered, and positioned at the core of Africa’s new era of growth.