OKOROJI BACK FROM ACCRA FORGES COOPERATION BETWEEN THE MUSIC INDUSTRIES OF GHANA AND NIGERIA

Chief Tony Okoroji, Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the nations sole government approved copyright collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings, arrived the country this past weekend after a three day visit to Ghana which he has described as a ‘mission of peace and co-operation’

While in Ghana, Chief Okoroji met with visiting officials of the Norwegian Copyright Development Association (NORCODE). NORCODE which is doing significant copyright development work in several nations around the globe is one of the major international organizations supporting COSON with training and capacity building. At the Accra meeting were the Managing Director of NORCODE, Mr Frode Lovik and the collective management expert and NORCODE advisor, Mr. Saemund Fiskvik.

In Accra, Chief Okoroji also addressed a large meeting of the Association of Music Right Owners (AMRO) where he spoke of the historic relationship between the Nigerian music industry and the Ghanaian industry and the need for stronger cooperation between the two industries for increased income to practitioners in both countries.

The COSON Chairman also held a joint meeting with Ms. Yaa Attafua, Ghana’s Acting Copyright Administrator, Mr. Bice Osei Kuffour, President, Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) and Mr. Carlos Sakyi, Interim Chairman of Ghana Music Rights Organization (GAMRO), the new all embracing national music CMO set up similar to COSON.

Chief Okoroji, one of Africa’s most respected experts on copyright, has described the Accra meetings as very productive. According to the former President of PMAN, “I was very well received in Ghana. Our two nations will benefit immensely from the cooperation we are forging.  With the high level of use of Nigerian music in Ghana, we have a major stake in the development of the copyright system in our sister nation. Our Ghanaian brothers and sisters with whom we share common ancestry are excited by the opportunity to work closely with us on different fronts and together we will significantly expand the frontiers of the protection of the rights of musicians in our sub region”