Chioma Ezike
A four-day National Delegates conference of the National Association Of Nigerian Arts Practitioners has opened in Lagos with a call to action for performers, their guilds , associations and the government to take steps to improve on performer’s rights and protection provided under the new Copyright Act, 2022.
In a keynote address entitled, The Protection of Performer’s Rights Under the Copyright Act: Light, Camera, Action!
the Director-General, Nigeria Copyright Commission, NCC, Dr. John O. Asein charged Theatre Art practitioners to understand the strategic importance of intellectual property, particularly copyright law which plays a pivotal role in the performing arts as it grants creators exclusive rights to their works, ensuring that their intellectual labor—whether a dance routine, a theatrical performance, a song, or a script—cannot be used without their consent.
Dr Asein further explained that emerging technologies including artificial intelligence have compounded the challenges being faced by performing artists hence the need for the practitioners to explore Copyright as it safeguards creative works, allowing the author (in the case the performer) to control how their works are fixed, reproduced, distributed or otherwise exploited.
The NCC Director General said copyright laws ensures that intellectual labour is rewarded pointing out that understanding and leveraging copyright is essential for the Practioners.
While shedding light on the role of theatre practitioners and their contributions to the rise of Nollywood and their place in the creative ecosystem, Dr Asein said the Nigeria Copyrights Commission will develop the outcome of the plenary session into a publication entitled “Copyright and Theatre Arts” as a tribute to two Nigerians who greatly influenced the emergence of performer’s rights in Nigeria: Dr. Sylvester Olusola Agbaje-Williams, a theatre enthusiast and key contributor to modern copyrights system, Chief Hubert Ogunde, the father of Nigerian theatre, who advocated for the inclusion of performer’s rights in the Copyright Act.
“The Nigerian Copyright Commission has long recognized the importance of theatre practitioners in the creative sector. Theatre professionals were well represented in the workshops leading up to the Copyright Act of 1988. In one of those seminars, held at Durbar Hotel, Lagos from 21st to 25th March 1988, Ogunde made a case for performer’s rights, which at that time did not exist under the Copyright Act of 1970. He prefaced his argument by showing the contributions that performers, especially folk theatre practitioners, had made to cultural, social and economic development. He argued that the law ignored the contributions of folk theatre practitioners to national development,” Dr Asein noted.
Concerning the omission of performer’s rights in the old Act, Dr Asein justified that Nigeria at that time had not ratified the relevant international copyright treaties including the Rome Convention adding that the country only ratified that treaty in October, 1993 although the 1988 Act had domesticated its provisions.
The NCC boss said the battle for control remained till today as new platforms of exploitation keep emerging and the law is trudging behind technology.
”How do we respond and reposition the rights of performers to benefit from the new technologies with models that guarantee sustainable coexistence, profitable business and the continued relevance of performances as a vehicle for the transmission of culture, social harmony and economic prosperity. Yesterday it was the VHS; today it is streaming, social media and the manipulative power of Artificial Intelligence,” Dr Asein said.
Earlier in a welcome remark , the President of National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, NANTAP Mr Israel Eboh said the theme of the convention, “Theatre, Politics and National Development” resonated with time pointing out that from dawn of civilization theatre has held up a mirror to society, shaped ideologies, questioned power structures and fueled evolutions, and noted that in contemporary Nigeria theatre continues to challenge, inspire and shaping discourse.
Mr Eboh said NANTA has trained hundreds of practitioners through specialized workshops, international collaborations and mentorship programmes.
Mr Eboh reflected on the journey of the last seven years as President of this great association including Capacity Building & Training Initiatives, Policy Advocacy & Industry Recognition, Theatre Infrastructure Development, Collaborations & Partnerships, Recognition & Awards.
He said the convention was aimed at challenging ideas, spark conversations, and forge new collaborations.
In a message, the special guest of honour the Ambassador Ireland Mr Peter Ryan described theatre as a tool for societal development pointing out that good theatre can stimulate consciousness in people.
High point of the opening of the four day convention was cultural displays and panel sessions by leadway assurance entitled ” Insurance and Arts Funding Security and the Nigeria Copyrights Commission, NCC .