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| COSON's Chairman, Chief T. 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”.
