The Copyright Bill 2022 (now the “Copyright Act”) has recently been signed into Law by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. This long-awaited approval was issued on March 17, 2023, by the President in exercise of his constitutional right of assent.
Recall that prior to the passage of this Bill, there had been different Copyright Bills seeking to modify the provisions of the now repealed Copyright Act, Cap C28 LFN, 2004. Thus, the coming into effect of the new Act is a welcome development in the Nigerian intellectual property ecosystem, as it not only modifies some of the archaic provisions of the repealed Act, but it also introduces novel provisions to protect the interest of creatives in Nigeria, move the country proactively into the digital age and fulfil some of Nigeria’s assumed obligations under international IP treaties.
We hope that this development would further drive the ongoing momentum to positively transform the legal framework for intellectual property in Nigeria. Efforts should now be focused on the passage and signing into law of other significant intellectual property bills, like the Trade Marks Bill and the Industrial Property Commission Bill (IPCOM), which are also overdue for legislative enactment.
