The Nigerian music industry has set plans in motion to mark
the annual ‘No Music Day’ across Nigeria on September 1. “No Music Day” is a
day the music industry has dedicated to bringing the attention of the Nigerian
nation to the widespread infringement of the rights of song writers, composers,
performers, music publishers, record labels and other stakeholders in the music
industry.
With the theme, ‘‘Music for National Stability’’, The
“No Music Day” 2017 celebration is aimed at building significant public
awareness and support for the new national fight against piracy of music,
movies, literature, broadcast content, software, etc, which is undermining
investments in the Nigerian creative industry.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s event, renowned
Intellectual Property activist and Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria
(COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji said “Every year, in marking ‘No Music Day’, our
objective has been to engage the Nigerian people and the various governments on
the potential contributions of Nigerian music to the socio-economic development
of the Nigerian nation and the necessity to fully deploy the substantial
comparative advantage which our nation possesses in this area, so as to provide
hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs to the teeming masses of Nigerian
youth who parade the streets of our country with little hope. I have no doubt
that if the right environment is created in Nigeria, the enormous creative
energy exhibited by our young people will be released to the amazement of the
world”
On the COSON ‘Music for National Stability’ project, Chief
Okoroji said, ‘‘The project will among other vital things, activate a forceful
campaign against hate speech in Nigeria, which is threatening ethnic harmony
and peace in the country, and also enhance the vigorous promotion of the
Nigerian Music Industry, so as to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s
GDP.’’
Speaking also on “No Music Day” 2017, Ace singer and Queen
of love, Azeezat Allen said “We are planning seriously to make “No Music Day”
2017 a memorable event. COSON and the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition are
counting on the support of Nigerians to make this the biggest “No Music Day”
event ever held. It is time we take the music business seriously in Nigeria, to
enable us unleash the creative ingenuity of our people and create a better
environment for creative minds to thrive.”
In commemoration of “No Music Day”, as has become the
practice, broadcast stations across Nigeria have been requested not to
broadcast music between the hours of 8am and 10am on Friday, September 1, 2017
as a mark of solidarity with the nation’s creative industry whose
potential has been limited by massive copyright infringement. Rather than
broadcast music, the stations have been asked to dedicate the 8 am to 10 am
time belt to the broadcast of interviews, documentaries, debates and
discussions that focus on the rights of creative people and the potential
contributions of creative activities to the national economy. Newspapers and
magazines across the country are also requested to publish special features on
these issues in the coming days.
The Nigerian public is requested to tune in to different domestic radio and television stations on September 1 to engage members and affiliates of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) and other music industry experts who will spread out to different broadcast stations to discuss “Music for National Stability” as the Nigerian nation seeks alternative sources of income to replace the dwindling oil revenue.
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