Sunny Ade: Piracy worse than cancer

In an interview with the Weekly Trust in London, King Ade compared piracy to “a killer and a murderer” that gets artistes out of business and scares investors from the industry. To tackle the scourge, he said, the government must make adequate laws and show commitment to eradicate it, adding that the scourge is affecting […]

In an interview with the Weekly Trust in London, King Ade compared piracy to “a killer and a murderer” that gets artistes out of business and scares investors from the industry.

To tackle the scourge, he said, the government must make adequate laws and show commitment to eradicate it, adding that the scourge is affecting not just music, but all aspects of intellectual property rights.

On government’s assistance to musicians, King Ade said he heard about the president’s promise of millions of dollars to musicians, but stressed “I have not seen anything yet”.

He said the government could play a vital role in making the music industry a business that people would like to come in, and expressed delight that the industry has moved from being regarded as an aberration to “a show business like no other”.

“Music binds the world together”, he said, adding that if the right steps are taken, it would encourage not only artistic productivity, but encourage investments in other sectors in Nigeria as well”.

King Ade is one of the many artistes lined up to perform at Nigeria House in Stratford, East London, to showcase Nigeria’s culture and investment potentials for the London Olympics.