Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has called on the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to prepare for the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence, streaming platforms and other digital technologies on the country’s creative industry.
Fagbemi made the call at a special send-off organised by the NCC in Abuja for former directors-general and retired directors of the commission. He was represented at the event by Patrick Etta Oyo, Director of the Legal Drafting Department at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The Attorney-General’s message comes at a time when AI is changing how Nigerians create music, films, images, books, journalism and other forms of digital content. Generative AI tools can now produce text, images, voices, music and video within minutes, creating new opportunities for creators while also raising difficult questions about ownership and compensation.
Fagbemi therefore urged the NCC to strengthen its regulatory and enforcement capacity and develop forward-looking approaches capable of responding to these technological changes.
For Nigeria, the issue is particularly important because the creative economy has become a major source of employment, cultural influence and international visibility. Music, Nollywood, publishing and digital content now reach audiences far beyond the country’s borders.
Also Read: Why Nigeria’s Probe Into AI Companies Could Change Digital Journalism Forever
Why Nigeria’s Copyright System Is Facing a New Test
The arrival of AI has introduced copyright questions that were difficult to imagine when Nigeria’s current copyright framework was being developed.
For example, an AI system can be trained using large amounts of existing creative material. This raises questions about whether creators should give permission before their works are used, whether they should receive compensation and who should be held responsible when AI produces content that closely resembles an existing work.
There are also questions around AI-generated music, voices and images. If an AI tool creates a song using a voice that sounds like a Nigerian musician, or generates an image resembling an artist’s work, determining the boundaries of copyright, personality rights and infringement can become complicated.
Nigeria already has the Copyright Act 2022, which modernised important aspects of copyright protection and strengthened the legal framework for creators in the digital environment. The Nigerian Copyright Commission’s official records confirm that the Copyright Act 2022 is the country’s current copyright statute.
However, the rapid development of generative AI means existing rules may require further clarification, particularly around machine-generated works, training data, licensing and enforcement.
Back Story: Nigeria’s Copyright Law Has Already Gone Digital
Nigeria’s move towards a modern copyright system predates the current AI debate.
The Copyright Act 2022 was signed into law on March 27, 2023, following a legislative process that included the harmonisation of bills passed by the Senate and House of Representatives. The NCC said the new law was designed to better align Nigeria’s copyright system with the realities of the digital environment and international copyright standards.
The commission has also expanded its digital services, including online copyright registration and systems for reporting infringement. According to the NCC, its responsibilities include copyright registration, anti-piracy enforcement and administration of rights within Nigeria’s creative economy.
The commission’s official copyright registration platform also states that copyright owners have economic rights that allow them to determine the conditions under which their works may be commercially used by others.
That principle could become increasingly important as AI companies, technology platforms and creative professionals negotiate how copyrighted material can be used in AI development.
What the AI Copyright Debate Means for Nigerian Creators
The Attorney-General’s call is likely to intensify discussions about how Nigeria can protect creators without blocking technological innovation.
For Nigerian musicians, filmmakers, writers, photographers, designers and other creative professionals, clearer rules could provide greater certainty over how their work is used by AI systems. It could also help establish clearer responsibilities when copyrighted material is copied, transformed or commercially exploited through digital technologies.
At the same time, overly restrictive regulations could make it harder for Nigerian businesses, researchers and technology companies to benefit from AI.
This makes the NCC’s role increasingly important. The commission will need to balance innovation with the economic and moral rights of creators while ensuring that copyright enforcement keeps pace with technology.
Nigeria is not alone in facing these questions. Governments in other countries are also examining how copyright law should respond to AI, including issues around licensing, authorship and enforcement.
For Nigeria’s creative economy, the challenge is no longer simply protecting music, films, books and other works from traditional piracy. The bigger question now is how those rights should operate in a world where machines can create, reproduce and transform content at extraordinary speed.
Fagbemi’s directive to the NCC signals that Nigeria’s copyright conversation is entering a new phase. The success of the next stage will depend on whether policymakers can create rules that protect Nigerian creativity while allowing responsible AI innovation to flourish.
Also Read: Human Rights Lawyer Sues FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike for N500m
