—– Says it is a major step toward protecting intellectual property and revitalizing Nigeria’s publishing sector
The President, Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Alhaji Lukman Dauda, made this known while speaking on the topic “ The State of Book Publishing in Nigeria,” on Freedom Square, a programme on Solid FM, 100.9, anchored by Uchenna Cyril Anioke.
Dauda stated that the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has intensified efforts to curb the growing threat of piracy through a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Copyright Commission , aimed at tackling both physical and digital forms of copyright infringement across the country.
He noted that piracy has evolved beyond the illegal printing of books to include widespread digital distribution through online platforms and mobile networks.
According to him, “the NPA has had a very solid collaboration with the Nigerian Copyright Commission in the fight against pirates. We need this collaboration because Nigerian Copyright Commission is the agency empowered by law to prosecute pirates. If an individual publisher or an Association goes out for a raid. He can only do that successfully with the collaboration of the security agencies but you cannot prosecute anybody because they don’t have that right, even the police cannot prosecute pirates except the Nigerian Copyright Commission .So we had a very strong collaboration especially with the leadership of the commission. At the beginning of every year, we map out our strategy to how we can fight piracy for the whole year. We have knowledge that these things are being perpetrated all over the country. We look out for intelligence gathering and how to deal with these issues. I am happy to equally recall that the commission has been very proactive. We already have a memorandum of understanding with the Customs, DSS and Nigeria Communications Commission. Pirates operate manually and digitally now. It is everywhere. The Nigerian Copyright Commission already has a collaboration with these agencies and the NPA which has helped in confiscating and impounding books that are not genuine.”
The collaboration with both Nigerian Copyright Commission(NCC) is critical because modern piracy now operates on two major levels — manual reproduction and digital transmission both of which continue to inflict heavy losses on authors, publishers, and the broader creative industry.
He explained that while traditional piracy remains common in book markets, schools, and roadside photocopy centers, digital piracy has expanded rapidly with increased access to smartphones and internet services, making copyrighted materials easily downloadable and shareable.
“The fight against piracy can no longer be handled by the publishing industry alone. With the digital space becoming a major channel for illegal distribution, working closely with the Nigerian Copyright Commission is necessary to monitor, regulate, and shut down these activities,” Dauda said.
He added that the synergy will focus on tracking online piracy networks, strengthening enforcement of copyright laws, and creating public awareness on the economic and cultural damage caused by piracy.
He therefore urged the public to respect copyright laws and support efforts to expose piracy, stressing that safeguarding creative works is essential for sustaining education, innovation, and national development.