NCC, Customs team up to Curb piracy at Nigeria borders

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have moved to strengthen border enforcement against the movement of pirated and copyright-infringing materials across the country’s borders.

The Director-General (DG) of the NCC, Dr John Asein, stated this on Wednesday in Kaduna during one day capacity-building training for officers of the NCS, Kaduna Area Command, and NCC Kaduna state command.

Asein, who was represented by the Director of the Nigerian Copyright Academy, Olufunmilayo Adewale, said the fight against copyright piracy required effective border control, intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement.

According to him, Customs officers were strategically positioned to identify and intercept suspected pirated and infringing materials entering or leaving the country.

He said the Copyright Act 2022 provided the legal framework for copyright protection and enforcement in Nigeria, adding that both agencies must ensure that its provisions translated into effective action against piracy and illicit trade in protected works.

Asein also called for sustained cooperation between the two agencies through timely information sharing, improved communication and coordinated operations in line with their respective mandates.

Speaking on the significance of the exercise, the NCC state commandant, Kaduna Command, Barr. Rukayya Muhammad Yaldu, said copyright infringement had evolved into an organised crime, with pirates taking protected works across borders for distribution.

Yaldu said the exercise was designed to enable both agencies to understand their respective roles and strengthen cooperation in copyright enforcement.

She explained that while the NCC would train Customs officers on copyright enforcement, the Customs Service would also train NCC officers on border operations and enforcement procedures.

Also speaking, the Head of Operations, NCC Kaduna Command, Abdullahi Alfa Muhammed, said the programme was aimed at strengthening inter-agency synergy between the Commission and Customs on border measures provided under the Copyright Act 2022.

He said the ultimate objective was to reduce the distribution of pirated materials across Nigeria, adding that effective enforcement required coordinated action by relevant agencies at all border points.

The Acting Public Relations Officer, Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, Nigeria Customs Service, Muhammad Usman Balarabe, described the programme as vital to strengthening inter-agency collaboration between the two agencies.

Balarabe said the knowledge-sharing exercise would enhance understanding of the operational procedures of both agencies and enable the NCC to work more closely with Customs in enforcement operations.

The training was attended by officers of the NCS, Kaduna Area Command, and the NCC, Kaduna state command, as well as representatives of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), booksellers and other copyright stakeholders.