The Nigerian Government has called for a coordinated strategy involving security agencies, telecommunications operators, internet service providers and digital platforms to tackle the growing threat of online piracy.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the National Seminar on Copyright, Cybersecurity and Nigeria’s Creative and Digital Economy.
The seminar, organised by the Nigerian Copyright Commission, had the theme, “Protecting Nigeria’s Creative Economy and Digital Infrastructure Against Online Piracy.”
Fagbemi said the growing scale and technical sophistication of online piracy had made it difficult for copyright enforcement agencies to tackle the problem alone.
He said piracy had evolved from the physical reproduction of copyrighted works into borderless digital operations, with illegal platforms able to distribute music, films, books and other content globally within seconds.
According to him, perpetrators increasingly use pirate websites, streaming platforms and networks of domains to distribute copyrighted material while concealing their identities, infrastructure and financial proceeds across different jurisdictions.
“Nigeria’s creative industry has grown exponentially in recent years. Our music, films, literature, broadcasting, software, fashion, and other creative assets continue to gain global acclaim,” Fagbemi said.
He noted that while digital technology had created new opportunities for content creation, distribution and commercialisation, it had also exposed the creative sector to increasingly complex forms of piracy.
Fagbemi said online piracy could no longer be treated solely as a copyright issue because of its growing links with cybercrime, e-commerce vulnerabilities and threats to digital infrastructure.
He called for a multi-sectoral approach involving law enforcement and security agencies, telecom operators, internet service providers, digital platforms, broadcasters, payment gateways, domain registries and copyright owners.
“Copyright infringement in the digital domain no longer exists in a vacuum; it increasingly intersects with organised cybercrime, e-commerce vulnerabilities, and threats to the overall integrity of our critical national digital infrastructure,” he said.
The minister said Nigeria needed to move from policy discussions to coordinated enforcement, with institutions sharing intelligence and taking faster action against platforms distributing pirated content.
A major outcome expected from the seminar is the Abuja Copyright Action Plan, which is designed to establish clearer responsibilities among relevant institutions and provide procedures for intelligence sharing, removal of infringing content and domain blocking.
The framework is also expected to support the creation of what the government described as “safe corridors” for creators and digital businesses while improving investor confidence in Nigeria’s creative economy.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, John Asein, said the commission was already using enforcement measures and technological tools to disrupt illegal distribution channels.
Asein, however, cautioned against relying on an often-cited 2019 estimate that piracy costs Nigeria’s creative industry $3 billion annually.
He said the commission was working on a new empirical study to determine the current scale of piracy under the Copyright Act 2022.
Asein said unchecked piracy deprives creators of income, discourages investment and could make Nigeria more attractive to operators of illicit digital platforms.
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He cited the recent shutdown of the Nigerian domain used by MovieBox, an illicit streaming platform linked to operators in Asia, as an example of the commission’s enforcement efforts.
According to him, the platform had adopted a .ng domain to give the impression of having a local presence, but the commission’s intervention led to the shutdown of the Nigerian domain, after which the operators moved their infrastructure to the Philippines.
Also speaking at the seminar, the Director of the World Intellectual Property Organisation Nigeria Office, Oluwatobiloba Moody, said pirate platforms could expose users to risks beyond copyright infringement.
He warned that some illegal streaming and downloading platforms could expose consumers to malware and other cybersecurity threats.
Moody reaffirmed WIPO’s support for Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen copyright enforcement through technical assistance and capacity building.
He highlighted WIPO ALERT, a secure platform that allows participating countries to share information about websites and domains identified as infringing copyright.
The platform can help advertising companies identify and block advertising placements on pirate websites, cutting off an important source of revenue for operators of illegal platforms.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
