Stetson LLP Partners with Nigerian Bar Association to Host SEM Hangout for Young Lawyers in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Stetson LLP, a Nigerian commercial law firm focused on entertainment, sports, media, intellectual property and emerging areas of business, has partnered with the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) to host the 2026 edition of its SEM Hangout in Port Harcourt.

Held under the theme “Who Owns the Value?”, the hangout brought together young lawyers and professionals for a conversation on ownership, control and value in Nigeria’s growing creative economy. The event attracted more than 100 participants and featured entertainment lawyers and Stetson LLP co-founders, Obinna Ubani and Praise Anyaoha, alongside entertainment and business lawyer Henry Ezikeoha, with Rita Chindah as moderator.

The discussion centred on a question becoming increasingly important as creative deals grow more sophisticated: when money changes hands for music, film, sports, intellectual property and other creative assets, who ultimately owns the value being created?

Ubani argued that African creators and businesses must pay closer attention to ownership and control of the assets they create, rather than measuring a deal solely by the size of the immediate payment. The conversation examined how ownership structures can determine whether the value generated by African talent remains with the creator or is transferred elsewhere.

Anyaoha brought an intellectual property perspective to the discussion, while Ezikeoha examined the commercial realities behind creative transactions. The panel considered how financing, creative input, distribution, marketing and risk can influence the allocation of rights and value between parties.

A recurring point was the distinction between being paid for a work and retaining an interest in its future value. An upfront payment may appear attractive, but the underlying agreement can determine whether a creator retains ownership, how long the work can be exploited, where it can be used, whether the arrangement is exclusive and whether the creator participates in future revenue.

The panel stressed the importance of contractual literacy, particularly as lawyers increasingly advise clients operating across entertainment, sports, technology and other fast-moving sectors. Understanding what rights are being granted, for how long and on what terms can have consequences long after the original transaction is completed.

The SEM Hangout is part of Stetson LLP’s continuing initiative to facilitate practical conversations around the legal and commercial issues shaping Nigeria’s creative industries. Speaking on the initiative, Stetson LLP partner Obinna Ubani said the firm is working towards making the Stetson LLP × NBA Creative Industry Hangout an annual platform at every NBA Annual General Conference, providing a consistent space for lawyers, creatives, rights owners, industry professionals, technology companies and investors to engage on issues shaping Africa’s creative economy. The firm operates at the intersection of law, business and creativity, with practices spanning entertainment, sports, media, intellectual property and emerging areas of business.

Through the initiative, Stetson brings legal practitioners and industry participants together to examine the questions emerging alongside the growth of Nigeria’s creative economy.