New DG pledges to restructure NCC

The new Director-General of Nigerian Copyright Commission, Mr.
John Asein, has declared his commitment to the reconstruction and
repositioning of the commission for effective regulation and
development of the nation’s copyright industries.

Following his appointment as Director-General of the NCC by
President Muhammadu Buhari, Asein made this declaration at a recent
meeting held by the management of the commission in Abuja.

The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Justice and
Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mr. Dayo Apata, SAN, who
conveyed the President’s approval in a letter dated 15th January
2019 with Ref. No. MT:4511/T/106, stated that the appointment of
the new director-general for an initial four-year tenure took
effect from January 8, 2019.

Asein called for dedication and team work among the management
and staff of the NCC. He pledged that the commission under his
watch would develop a comprehensive intervention strategy that
would impact positively on every sector of the creative
industries.

He gave the assurance that the commission would be proactive in
the execution of its mandate under the Nigerian Copyright Act CAP
C28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, adding that areas of
its mandate like the visual arts and others, which had not received
sufficient attention previously, would be covered.

“We must change the copyright narrative in Nigeria positively to
impact the copyright-based industries to the benefit of all
copyright stakeholders,” he said.

He stressed the need for a cohesive management team that would
deliver on the mandate of the commission, adding that staff
discipline, manpower development and institutional strengthening
would be prioritised.

The former Acting Director-General, Mr. Kohol, in his remarks,
underscored the need for all hands to be on deck to move the
Commission forward.

He noted the need to revive some laudable projects that earlier
featured in the Commission’s programmes.