COSON BLANKETS THE AIRWAVES ON “NO MUSIC DAY” ASKS BUHARI TO KICK START A CREATIVE & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ECONOMY IN NIGERIA

Chief Tony Okoroji

In an unprecedented communication master class, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) on September 1 took over the broadcast airwaves across Nigeria as it mobilized public opinion in a professionally co-ordinated demand for a new national economy anchored on creativity and respect for intellectual property rights. Since 2009, September 1 every year has been marked as ‘No Music Day’ by COSON, Nigeria’s unapologetic copyright collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings.

On “No Music Day” 2016 many radio and TV stations across the country stopped the broadcast of music between the hours of 8am and 10am and instead dedicated the time belt to the broadcast of interviews, documentaries, debates and discussions on the rights of creative people and the impact that Nigeria’s creative industries can make to the revival of the dwindling national economy. Several leading newspapers, magazines and social media blogs also published special features on issues dealing with creativity and innovation in the national economy. COSON members across the country observed a one day hunger strike as flags at COSON Headquarters in Lagos flew at half-mast.

There was also a big “open house’ event at COSON Headquarters which event was attended by many artistes and assorted representatives of a wide spectrum of Nigeria’s print, broadcast and social media.

Across the country, top artistes, intellectual property lawyers, music industry stakeholders and copyright experts were spread out by COSON in an intricately planned and co-ordinated media assault and they simultaneously took to the air waves on different radio and television stations all over Nigeria. At COSON Headquarters, a ‘No Music Day” Command Center was set up from which the unprecedented communication activity which also involved several internet bloggers was co-ordinated.

Among the many representatives of COSON who concurrently went on air on diverse broadcast stations in different parts of the country were Prof. (Sir) Victor Uwaifo and COSON Coordinator in Edo and Delta States, Prince Biodun Eguakhide. They took over the airwaves in Benin City and environs and masterfully spoke on the issues of the creative economy on ITV, STV, Vibes FM, Channels TV, Delta Broadcasting Service, NTA, etc.

Meanwhile, Rub a Dub master, Ras Kimono was live on TVC as Sir Shina Peters enchanted them live on Galaxy TV. Nowmuzik CEO and celebrated Manager of 2 Face Idibia, Efe Omorogbe was coaching listeners of Beat FM on how the respect for copyright is critical to the progress of the music industry as Dancehall exponent, Baba Dee gave an Intellectual Property lecture on nearby Classic FM and Zdon Paporrella re-affirmed the issues on Naija FM.   

As well-known Gospel singer, Kenny Saint Best spread the message on City FM, Founder Cabal Entertainment, Obi Asika was singing a similar song on Cool FM while Chocolate City Co-Founder, Paul Okeugo eloquently spoke about the creative economy on Rhythm FM.

At the same moment, Queen of love, Azeezat was live on LTV while Fuji music maestro, Sikiru Agboola spread the message on Radio Lagos.

In Abuja, COSON FCT Coordinator, Segun Awosanya anchored the massive communication undertaking and spoke live from Aso Radio.

Meanwhile, COSON had also unleashed some of Nigeria’s most active intellectual property lawyers on the broadcast media. Justin Ige was live on Eko FM Lagos, Tochukwu Tagbo advocated on Nigeria Info, Mr. Ikhane Akhigbe was taking command on Smooth FM while Akinyemi Ayinoluwa addressed the court of public opinion from the studios of Soundcity FM.

In Onitsha and elsewhere around the South East, Hon. John Ewelukwa Udegbunam held sway while the Chairman of Music Label Owners Association of Nigeria (MULOAN), Joel Ajayi was heard loud and clear on Wazobia FM. As frontline Artiste Manager, Godwin Tom delivered an Intellectual property masterpiece on STV, the very cerebral AVRS General Manager, Victor Nwokocha was talking to Nigerians on Metro FM.

Top executives of COSON were also on active duty on several stations. General Manager Chinedu Chukwuji held many spell bound on Traffic Radio with his grasp of the issues of the intellectual property economy.

Live on MITV was COSON Head of Finance & Administration, the vivacious Bernice Eriemeghe. Chibueze Okereke, the COSON Head of Public Affairs who was at the epicenter of the arrangements for “No Music Day” was breaking down the issues live on Lagos Talk. Vincent Adawaisi, the COSON Head of Membership and Isa Aruna in charge of Datatech formed a tag team that spread the word on Radio Continental while the licensing tag team of Anne Ikomi and Keji Odumbaku operated from Urban FM.

At the head of the “No Music Day” command center set up at COSON Headquarters from which the intricate web of activities were being coordinated was the Chairman of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji, the never-say-die advocate for Intellectual Property rights across the African continent. The brilliant mind who in 2009 conceived ‘No Music Day’ and in 2016 executed the extensive communication master stroke to force the Nigerian nation to kick start a new Knowledge and Intellectual Property revolution had at his beck and call such leading bloggers as Seyi Allen, Esther Olanrewaju, and Debbie Salawu while the massive internet activities were co-ordinated by COSON’s fresh New Media Executive, Tolu Balogun.

From the ‘No Music Day’ Command Center, Chief Okoroji himself did several live radio and television interviews on the telephone, speaking with Ambrose Somide live on Raypower, Theophilus Elamah on Rainbow FM, Temitayo Balogun on WFM, etc. He was also live on Naija FM, ITV and FRCN.

Across many broadcast channels, there were extensive broadcasts of different “No Music Day” documentaries produced and syndicated by COSON.

Asked how he felt at the end of what must have been an amazing exercise, a visibly exhausted Chief Okoroji said, “Our key objective has been to engage the Nigerian people and the various governments on the potential contributions of Nigerian creativity to the 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 almost hopelessly and which hopelessness invariably attracts them to become laborers in the devil’s workshop. If at the end we achieve this, it would have been worth the sacrifice”.