DIGITAL MUSIC SUMMIT TAKES BOLD STEPS IN NIGERIA

It was a watershed event on Monday, August 12, 2013 as the key players in the Nigerian music industry and associated stakeholders got together at Protea Hotel, GRA, Ikeja to have a no-holds-barred conversation on the future of the Nigerian music industry in the digital environment. The event was the 1^st Nigerian Digital Music Licensing Summit and anyone present at the overflowing meeting room at Protea Hotel would have noticed the passion with which every participant spoke and the resolve of the top players in the Nigerian music industry to seize the bull by the horn.
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Present at the event organized under the auspices of the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition and coordinated by Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) were some of the nation’s best known Intellectual Property lawyers such as Mr. Afam Nwokedi, Managing Partner, Stillwaters Law Firm; Mr. Femi Fajolu, Managing Partner, Chief G. O. Sodipo & Co; Mr. Mena Ajakpovi, Managing Partner, Abraham & Co and Ms. Olufimilola Banjo of Olajide Oyewole & Co. Also present were representatives of the major telephone networks and value added service providers and aggregators such as Mr. Victor Bannerman, Head of VAS, Airtel; Mr. Godwin Oriazowanlan, Head of VAS, GLO; Mr. Nnamdi Agwunobi, Managing Director, Greenbee Communications; Mr. Lawrence Wilbert, Managing Director, Agitent Wireless; Mr. Simon Aderinola, National Coordinating Consultant, Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) and Mr. Gbolahan Awonugu, representative of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).

At the event masterfully moderated by COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, the Heads of the key music labels and music publishing companies were also heavily in the mix: Mr. Audu Maikori, Managing Director, Chocolatecity Group; Mr. Efe Omorogbe, Chief Executive Officer, Nowmuzik; Mr. Toju Ejueyitchie, Managing Director Premier Records and Premier Music Publishing, a former chairman, Nigerian Association of Recording Industries (NARI) and Mr. Alec Godwin, Managing Director, Alec Entertainment. Spinlet Nigeria was represented by Mr. Mark Redguard, Chief Marketing Officer and Ms. Nkiru Balonwu, Head, Legal. The Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission was represented by Mr. Obi Ezeilo.
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The Summit reached a resolve that urgent steps be taken to align the music industry in Nigeria with developments in other parts of the developed world in the digital space. It was also decided that to protect investments of stakeholders in the industry, necessary action must be taken to ensure that henceforth the rights and obligations of every stakeholder must be understood and respected. The Summit also resolved that action be taken for continuous education and retraining of stakeholders, judges charged with adjudicating intellectual property matters, legislators and regulatory officials.
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Because of the extensive use of Nigerian music across the world, it was decided that a strong database of the different right owners in music and related agreements and assignments be developed so as to make music licensing less cumbersome. It was also decided that a scheme be devised to immediately deal with the emerging scourge of unauthorized commercial offline digital download of popular music taking place in different Nigerian cities.
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The Summit rose with the setting up of a 14 member working committee which was given a 6 weeks mandate to articulate precise plans for addressing the issues raised at the Summit.
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Also at the summit were Mr. Joel Ajayi, National President, Music Label Owners Association of Nigeria, Engr. Sharon Wilson, National President, Music Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr Laolu Akins, ace producer, Chinedu Chukwuji, General Manager, COSON who coordinated the event.
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Reacting to the events at the summit, Erelu Keji Okunowo, former CEO of Sony Music Nigeria, former Chairman, International Federation of Phonographic Industries and Managing Director of MasterSounds, said, “I must say that I am really really happy that the industry has gotten this far. I also must commend the effort of COSON. Education is an ongoing thing. We must continue to learn. So I came here today to learn and actually hear what the youth have to say. I am very glad that I can see the energy. I can see the intelligence. I can see that the zeal to be professional, to be doing the right thing and to ask that things should be done properly because Nigeria so far especially in our industry, we have lived in chaos and to see that there is that cry for us to regularize, to sanitize and to create platforms or template where things can be done better for future generation.”