Clean up your act, NCC tells artistes

The Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) has urged artistes to ditch vulgar language in their songs and instead focus on creating content that promotes peace and family values. The NCC’s Director General, Dr. John O. Asein, emphasized the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and collecting royalties for creative works. The warning comes as part of […]

The Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) has urged artistes to ditch vulgar language in their songs and instead focus on creating content that promotes peace and family values.

The NCC’s Director General, Dr. John O. Asein, emphasized the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and collecting royalties for creative works.

The warning comes as part of efforts to promote responsible creativity and protect the music industry from content deemed immoral or improper.

Speaking at an enlightenment exercise for stakeholders in the music industry organised by the commission in Kaduna to commemorate the World Intellectual Property (WIPO) Day over the weekend, the Director General, NCC, Dr. John O. Asein who was represented by NCC Kaduna State Coordinator, Rukayya Yeldu said “As we celebrate the WIPO day, we have to remind you that having intellectual property on your works enables you to earn recognition or financial benefit from what you invent or create which will be of immense benefits to artists and it is only with this, that you can receive royalties from your songs.”

On his part, the Zonal Director, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Alhaji Jamilu Yahaya Jega urged artists to use their songs to promote peace, family values and other things for the upliftment of society.

He frowned at the way and manners some artists use their songs to abuse and incite people as well as promote indecency saying, “The commission will not hesitate to take down any song that is immoral or improper to protect the country.”

Also speaking, Head, Kaduna centre, Music Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN), Moses Moke counseled artists on the need to register with the centre to recover their royalties saying, “No Nigerian station has paid tariff to NBC.”

He called on them to register so that the centre can recover these royalists and remit back to them.

He then advised them on self censorship of their music which he said will be of immense benefit to them in the long run.