The Musical Copyright Society Nigeria Ltd/Gte (MCSN) has announced the receipt of the first tranche of the Copyright Levy, amounting to N1,205,956,580.20, under Section 89 of the Copyright Act 2022.
In a statement issued by the association on Tuesday, MCSN credited President Bola Tinubu’s government for implementing the levy, saying it’s a significant boost to the creative industry.
“This payment falls on all fours with the renewed hope agenda of the present government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to make the creative industry a very viable sector in the Nigerian economy. This is not politics but economic reality!” the statement read.
MCSN said the fund will reach grassroots and benefit Nigerian creators, lifting them out of poverty. However, the society faced opposition from Record Labels Proprietors Initiative (RELPI), which claims to represent sound recording owners. MCSN countered RELPI’s claims, stating they represent most performers and producers in Nigeria.
“The activities and campaign of RELPI is for the foreign entities to take over the Nigerian creative market using the back door, through the cover of copyright ownership. This most certainly is against the fundamental national interest of Nigeria and Nigerians,” MCSN said in response to RELPI’s opposition.
