PMAN Commends Tinubu On The Copyright Levy Milestone, Reaffirms Commitment To Transparency & Protection Of Musicians Rights.

Tinubu & Pretty Okafor.

The Performing Musicians’ Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has taken careful note of the public announcement issued by the Musical Copyright Society Nigeria Ltd/Gte (MCSN) on the release of the first tranche of the Copyright Levy for the Nigerian music industry, and PMAN expresses its profound satisfaction with this development. PMAN welcomes the announcement as a landmark moment for creators, performers, producers, and the broader creative economy—particularly because it signals that a long awaited legal mechanism has begun to work in practical terms for the benefit of Nigerian right owners and performers.

PMAN specially commends MCSN—especailly Mr. Mayowa Ayilaran (CEO MCSN) for their public communication and for the diligence it has demonstrated in advancing the collective administration of rights within the Nigerian music sector.

We also formally appreciate and commend His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Federal Government of Nigeria for the policy direction and administrative resolve that has made this first release possible.

PMAN acknowledges the roles of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Dr. John O. Asein, Director-General Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), and all relevant public institutions whose efforts contributed to the emergence of this milestone.

In PMAN’s view, the practical implementation of the levy scheme represents a meaningful step towards building a stronger creative economy consistent with the national agenda for economic growth and improved welfare for citizens working in the entertainment sector.

It is necessary to state that the Copyright Levy is not a new invention of industry actors, nor is it a discretionary “gift” that can be administered without law. It is a statutory scheme expressly provided for under Section 89 of the Copyright Act 2022, which contemplates a levy on materials used or capable of being used to infringe copyright.

The significance of this provision is straightforward: it reflects a deliberate legislative policy that recognises the realities of copying and reproduction in modern markets and creates a mechanism—through lawful collection and disbursement—to compensate right owners whose works are exploited.

The levy framework also establishes that the relevant regulatory institutions of state, particularly the NCC, have statutory functions in relation to the administration of copyright and the disbursement ecosystem contemplated by the law. What matters most to PMAN is that the system is implemented with clarity, transparency, and strict accountability so that the intended beneficiaries—especially measurable, verifiable outcomes. grassroots performers—can see PMAN further notes, as a matter of important institutional history, that PMAN has not merely observed these reforms from the sidelines.

On the 1^st of July 2020, PMAN—under the leadership of President Pretty Okafor—entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with MCSN. That MOU was designed to strengthen cooperation around licensing compliance, enforcement support, and the practical protection of performing musicians’ rights.

PMAN reiterates that this agreement has helped to further cement and safeguard the rights and welfare interests of performing musicians within the evolving collective management landscape in Nigeria.

The purpose of such collaboration is not symbolism; it is to ensure that the protection of performers’ rights moves beyond theory into real-world outcomes—namely, improved compliance by users of music, enhanced royalty culture, and better economic conditions for the people who create and perform the music Nigerians enjoy every day.

This is also the moment for Nigeria to make a broader and more deliberate commitment to the entertainment sector. The music industry is not merely a cultural expression; it is a serious economic asset—one that sustains thousands of livelihoods, exports Nigerian identity globally, attracts tourism and investment, and creates opportunities for young Nigerians.

When intellectual property systems are properly built and consistently enforced, the sector becomes more investable, more professional, and better structured to deliver jobs, taxes, and national prestige.

PMAN therefore calls on the government, regulators, private sector stakeholders, and the general public to continue to support the Nigerian music industry, not only through commendable policy actions, but also through practical commitments that strengthen institutions, improve compliance by commercial users of music, and expand the welfare impact of copyright-driven revenues across all states of the federation. PMAN remains firmly committed to transparency and accountability in the administration of creators’ earnings and in all processes that touch the welfare of performers.

The credibility of any collection and disbursement system will always rest on public confidence, open governance, and verifiable accounting. PMAN will therefore continue to play its responsible role in supporting lawful initiatives that protect performers, encourage compliance, and promote the stability of the entertainment ecosystem, while urging all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue, respect due process, and avoid actions that undermine the long-term growth of Nigerian creativity.

PMAN concludes by once again commending MCSN on its announcement and thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government of Nigeria for demonstrating the political will to advance the creative economy through the implementation of lawful frameworks.

PMAN looks forward to sustained progress that reaches the grassroots and meaningfully improves the welfare of Nigerian performing musicians nationwide.