Admin l Thursday, August 24, 2017
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – 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 took 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.
