On Friday 10th of May, The Music Publishers Association of Nigeria (MPAN) held its first town hall meeting, hosted in partnership with Universal Music Group Nigeria. Themed ‘The Music Publishing Business in Nigeria – Regulations, Challenges and the Future’ key players in Nigeria’s music industry convened to discuss the issues plaguing the Nigerian music industry and enable stakeholders collectively develop solutions to the challenges.
MPAN is an association of copyright catalog owners, both locally and internationally. The event was attended by key industry figures, Mr. Barthélémy Blanc – Deputy to the Delegate of the Regional Economic Dept in Lagos, A&R Executive, Bizzle Osikoya, Programme Director Beat 99.9FM, Olisa Adibua, General Manager Chocolate City, Aibee Abidoye, Recording Artist, Perruzi as well as members of the American Business Council, Songwriters, Artist managers and Content Creators. It provided an opportunity for delegates to review the current state of affairs of the industry, its challenges, as well as review revenue opportunities for music creators.
Well-seasoned media and entertainment lawyer, Isioma Idigbe, provided an overview of music publishing and highlighted its importance within the music industry. Whilst MPAN Chairman Olumide Mustapha, a technology and entertainment attorney, explained the avoidable loss of revenue as a result of lack of industry knowledge and know-how around music publishing. Ibukun Ibidoye, the Executive President of Chocolate City, gave an insightful presentation on the Future of Music Publishing in Nigeria.
MPAN members and attendees reviewed current policies and regulations, agreeing that measures must be put in place to protect the interests of creators within the industry. The ongoing COSON crisis was also heavily debated, with stakeholders suggesting useful solutions to restructuring the collective society, and four (4) petitions intended to achieve this were signed at the meeting. The meeting also gave members a better perspective of the music publishing business and the extent of revenue loss from the absence of a proper music publishing structure.
Ezegozie Eze, General Manager, Universal Music Group Nigeria & Anglophone West Africa stated “UMG is pleased to have been a part of the first MPAN town hall meeting, which was well attended by industry stakeholders. The meeting provides an opportunity for key stakeholders, within the industry to come together to discuss the challenges currently being faced with music publishing in Nigeria. Our aim is to work with the relevant bodies to ensure that we put structures in place that not only aids the growth of the music ecosystem, but protects and compensates music creators. This meeting was definitely a step towards the right direction.”
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