The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has issued a strong warning to disc jockeys (DJs) across the country to cease performing music publicly without proper authorization or licenses. The commission has made it clear that failure to comply could lead to prosecution, with offenders facing fines of at least N1 million, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
Dr. John Asein, Director-General of the NCC, revealed the crackdown in an advisory released on Wednesday in Abuja. The move comes after concerns that many DJs have been playing copyrighted music in public venues without securing the necessary permissions from rights holders or their authorized representatives.
“Under the Copyright Act of 2022, only the copyright owner has the exclusive right to reproduce, perform, or communicate their musical works to the public,” Dr. Asein explained. “Any public performance without authorization is a violation of the law and may attract serious penalties.”
The NCC highlighted that public performances by DJs, whether at hotels, clubs, event centers, gardens, or recreational facilities, count as both public performances and communication to the public under the law. This means DJs must obtain licenses and pay royalties before playing music in such settings.
To help DJs comply, the NCC pointed to the Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN), the approved Collective Management Organisation responsible for managing musical copyrights in Nigeria. The Disc Jockey’s Association of Nigeria (DJAN) has partnered with MCSN through a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate royalty payments on behalf of DJs nationwide.
Dr. Asein urged all DJs to work with DJAN and MCSN to ensure they are properly licensed. “The commission will not hesitate to investigate, arrest, and prosecute any DJ found violating copyright laws,” he warned.
This forms part of the NCC’s broader efforts to protect intellectual property rights and support the creative industry in Nigeria.
