Practitioners Advocate Legal Awareness to Protect Creatives From Exploitation

Wale Igbintade 

Legal practitioners and industry professionals have raised fresh concerns over the impact of poor legal awareness on the growth and sustainability of Nigeria’s creative sector, warning that many artists and content creators remain vulnerable to exploitation, revenue losses, and avoidable disputes.

The concerns were expressed during a webinar themed, “The Legal Business of Entertainment: Building Sustainable Careers in a Changing Industry,” and convened by Onu Oden Shammah through Ekenma Ebere & Co. 

In his opening remarks, Shammah underscored the central role of copyright in the entertainment ecosystem, noting that a significant number of creatives lack a clear understanding of ownership, authorship, and the economic and moral rights attached to their works. 

According to him, this knowledge gap often results in creatives inadvertently relinquishing control over their content or missing out on rightful earnings.

Also speaking, Omotayo G. Abiode urged creatives to adopt a more strategic approach to intellectual property, describing it as a valuable asset that must be deliberately protected and commercially managed. From a business perspective, Sodamola Tolulope emphasised the importance of branding and structure, encouraging creatives to evolve from informal artistic practice into organised business entities. 

On dispute resolution, Professor Olajide Olagunju advocated for the adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, including mediation and arbitration, as effective tools for resolving conflicts within the entertainment industry.