Nigeria, August 18, 2016 – Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) has set aside September 1, 2016 to mark the annual ‘No Music Day’ across Nigeria.
“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.
The theme of this year’s event is “The Monetization of Musical Content in the Digital Space”.
In a statement, COSON said at this period of dwindling national income, No Music Day 2016 is intended to focus on revealing the significant financial benefits that can accrue to the nation’s traumatized economy if the huge potentials in the music industry in the digital environment are properly harnessed.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s event, renowned Intellectual Property activist and Chairman of 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”
Speaking also on the No Music Day event, songwriter and CEO of NowMuzik, Mr Efe Omorogbe said, “This coming September 1 will mark the eighth consecutive edition of No Music Day. We hope that everyone remembers that historic week in 2009 when for several days, a group of Nigerian artistes held huge rallies at the National Theatre in Lagos and went on a week-long hunger strike to protest the cruel abuse of the rights of artistes in Nigeria. For the first time in the history of mankind, the music industry in a country called for the halt of the broadcast of music all over the country for a whole day, September 1, 2009. That action captured the imagination of the world and ‘No Music Day’ was born”.
In the words of Songstress and Queen of Love, Azeezat Allen, “We are planning seriously to make No Music Day 2016 a memorable event. I hope that COSON and the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition will receive the support of everyone across Nigeria. Let us unleash the creative ingenuity of our people and create a better tomorrow for Nigeria’s children”
In marking the day, broadcast stations across Nigeria have been requested not to broadcast music between the hours of 8am and 10am on Thursday, September 1, 2016 as a mark of solidarity with the nation’s creative industry which has suffered immensely from the debilitating infringement of copyright.
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 diverse broadcast stations to discuss “The Monetization of Musical Content in the Digital Space” as the Nigerian nation seeks alternative resources to replace the dwindling oil revenue.
