COSON BLANKETS THE AIRWAVES ON “NO MUSIC DAY”
ASKS BUHARI TO KICK START A
CREATIVE & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ECONOMY IN NIGERIA
In an unprecedented communication
master class, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) on September 1 took over the
broadcast airwaves across Nigeria as it mobilized public opinion in a professionally
co-ordinated demand for a new national economy anchored on creativity and
respect for intellectual property rights. Since 2009, September 1 every year
has been marked as ‘No Music Day’ by COSON, Nigeria’s unapologetic copyright
collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings.
On “No Music Day” 2016 many radio and TV stations across the country stopped the
broadcast of music between the hours of 8am and 10am and instead dedicated the
time belt to the broadcast of interviews, documentaries, debates and
discussions on the rights of creative people and the impact that Nigeria’s creative
industries can make to the revival of the dwindling national economy. Several
leading newspapers, magazines and social mediablogs also published
special features on issues dealing with creativity and innovation in the
national economy. COSON
members across the country observed a one day hunger strike as flags at COSON
Headquarters in Lagos flew at half-mast.
There was also a big “open house’ event at COSON Headquarters
which event was attended by many artistes and assorted representatives of a
wide spectrum of Nigeria’s print, broadcast and social media.
Across the country, top artistes,
intellectual property lawyers, music industry stakeholdersand copyright experts
were spread out by COSON in an intricately planned and co-ordinated media assault
and they simultaneously took to the air waves on different radio and television
stations all over Nigeria. At COSON Headquarters, a ‘No Music Day” Command Center
was set up from which the unprecedented communication activity which also
involved several internet bloggers was co-ordinated.
Among the many representatives of
COSON who concurrently went on air on diverse broadcast stations in different
parts of the country were Prof. (Sir) Victor Uwaifoand COSON Coordinator in Edo
and Delta States, Prince BiodunEguakhide. They took over the airwaves in Benin City
and environs and masterfully spoke on the issues of the creative economy on
ITV, STV, Vibes FM, Channels TV, Delta Broadcasting Service, NTA, etc.
Meanwhile, Rub a Dub master, Ras
Kimono was live on TVC as Sir Shina Peters enchanted them live on Galaxy TV.
Nowmuzik CEO and celebrated Manager of 2 Face Idibia, EfeOmorogbe was coaching
listeners of Beat FM on how the respect for copyright is critical to the
progress of the music industry as Dancehall exponent, Baba Dee gave an
Intellectual Property lecture on nearby Classic FM and ZidonPoperella
re-affirmed the issues on Naija FM.
As well-known Gospel singer, Kenny Saint
Best spread the message on City FM, CEO of Storm 360, Obi Asika was singing a
similar song on Cool FM while Chocolate City Co-Founder, Paul Okeugo eloquently
spoke about the creative economy on Rhythm FM.
At the same moment, Queen of love, Azeezat
was live on LTV while Fuji music maestro, SikiruAgboolaspread the message on
Radio Lagos.
In Abuja, COSON FCT Coordinator, SegunAwosanyaanchored
the massive communication undertaking and spoke live from Aso Radio.
Meanwhile, COSON had also unleashed
some of Nigeria’s most active intellectual property lawyers on the broadcast
media. Justin Ige was live on Radio Lagos, TochukwuTagbo advocated on Nigeria
Info while AkinyemiAyinoluwa addressed the court of public opinion from the
studios of Soundcity.
In Onitsha and elsewhere around the
South East, Hon. John EwelukwaUdegbunam held sway while the Chairman of Music
Label Owners Association of Nigeria (MULOAN), Joel Ajayiwas heard loud and
clear on Wazobia FM. As frontline Artiste Manager, Godwin Tom delivered an
Intellectual property masterpiece on Smooth FM, the very cerebral AVRS General
Manager, Victor Nwokocha was talking to Nigerians on Metro FM.
Top executives of COSON were also
on active duty on several stations. General Manager ChineduChukwuji held many
spell bound on Traffic Radio with his grasp of the issues of the intellectual
property economy.
Live on MITV was COSON Head of
Finance & Administration, the vivaciousBernice Eriemeghe. ChibuezeOkereke,
the COSON Head of Public Affairs who was at the epicenter of the arrangements
for “No Music Day” was breaking down the issues live on Lagos Talk. Vincent
Adawaisi, the COSON Head of Membership and Isa Aruna in charge of Datatech
formed a tag team that spread the word on Radio Continental while the licensing
tag team of Anne Ikomi and KejiOdumbaku operated from Urban Radio.
At the head of the “No Music Day” command
center set up at COSON Headquarters from which the intricate web of activities
were being coordinated was the Chairman of COSON, Chief TonyOkoroji, the
never-say-die advocate for Intellectual Property rights across the African
continent. The brilliant mind who in 2009 conceived ‘No Music Day’ and in 2016 executed
the extensive communication master stroke to force the Nigerian nation to kick
start a new Knowledge and Intellectual Property revolution had at his beck and
call such leading bloggers as Seyi Allen, Esther Olanrewaju, and Debbie Salawu
while the massive internet activities were co-ordinated by COSON’s new social
media executive, ToluBalogun.
From the ‘No Music Day’ Command
Center, Chief Okoroji himself did several live radio and television interviews
on the telephone, speaking with Ambrose Somide live on Raypower,
TheophilusElamah on Rainbow FM, TemitayoBalogun on WFM, etc. He was also live
on Naija FM, ITV and FRCN.
Across many broadcast channels,
there were extensive broadcasts of different “No Music Day” documentaries
produced and syndicated by COSON.
Asked how he felt at the end of what must have been
an amazing exercise, a visibly exhausted Chief Okoroji said, “Our key objective
has been to engage the Nigerian people and the various governments on the
potential contributions of Nigerian creativity to the 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 almost hopelessly and which hopelessness
invariably attracts them to become laborers in the devil’s workshop. If at the
end we achieve this, it would have been worth the sacrifice”
FOR COSON:
