PRESS STATEMENT
ON WORLD
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY, OKOROJI CALLS FOR A NEW NIGERIA DRIVEN BY CREATIVITY
AND KNOWLEDGE
Chairman,
Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Africa’s fastest growing copyright
collective management organization, has in a public statement to mark the World
Intellectual Property Day, 2018, called for a new Nigeria driven by creativity
and knowledge.
In his statement,
Chief Okoroji who is one of Africa’s most acclaimed intellectual property
activists, said, “Everywhere you go, the ingenuity of the Nigerian people is on
display. Our music, movies, literature, fashion, programming and similar
products of the creative endeavour are in substantial demand across the world.
In the creative industry, Nigeria has significant comparative advantage. We
only need a spark to light the fire. It is our belief that If we properly
manage this gift the Almighty has given to us, the result will confound the
world.
According to
Okoroji, ‘‘As we mark ‘‘World Intellectual Property Day” with the theme ‘‘Powering
Change: Women in innovation and creativity’’, we once again ask for a new
Nigeria in which the people of wealth and influence are no longer those who
have brazenly stolen the people’s patrimony.
“We ask for a
Nigeria driven by knowledge and creativity. We demand a nation where a creative
songwriter can depend on his creativity and live well; a good performer does
not have to worry about how to feed his family; a talented filmmaker or actor
will not be burdened by where his next rent will come from; a gifted author can
become a millionaire and does not have to sweat at the thought of his
children’s school fees and a fashion designer with unique talent can be
celebrated for his or her creativity. We ask for a Nigeria in which a great
photographer can be a man of means; an architect does not also have to be a
builder to earn commensurate income from his talent; an inventor can live off
his invention and a creator of content can thrive from the deployment of his
content.
“We earnestly ask
for a Nigeria in which a lecturer is no longer ashamed to say that he teaches
for a living. In other words, we demand a nation in which knowledge and
creativity are celebrated.
The former
President of PMAN who has recently led demonstrations against institutions and
officials of the Federal Government over legal issues bordering on intellectual
property, has requested the government to stop hounding those who have
committed their lives to the upholding of the laws that further the environment
for the growth of intellectual property in Nigeria and to see people like him as
patriots and not subversives
According to
Chief Okoroji, the author of Copyright & the New Millionaires, “We request
that the energy that has been deployed by officials of the government to subvert
and destabilize COSON which despite all odds has been a major Nigerian success
story and an example of what is possible in our country, should be deployed in
ensuring that other institutions in other areas of intellectual property are
improved and strengthened for the good of our nation”.
He gave kudos to
Nigerian women in the creative industry whom he said continue to succeed
regardless of a very unsupportive environment. Chief Okoroji said that in
recognition of the strides made by Nigerian women in the creative industry, COSON
recently put three Nigerian women on its board instead of the lone woman that
used to be on the board. He said that it is in the same way that of the six
heads of departments at COSON, three are women.
