The Nigeria Publishers Association has called for stronger collaboration between the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies to combat both local and cross-border book piracy.

The appeal was made by NPA President, Alhaji Lukman Dauda, during a press conference held on Wednesday at the association’s secretariat in Ibadan, in commemoration of the 2025 World Book and Copyright Day.

This year’s global celebration, with the theme “Read Your Way” and sub-theme “Access to Knowledge: Balancing Book Availability and Copyright,” underscores the importance of both book accessibility and protection of intellectual property rights.

Speaking on the sub-theme, Dauda stressed the importance of access to books for education, entertainment, and broader global understanding.

He also highlighted the economic impact of piracy, saying that the Nigerian book industry contributes over N100bn to the nation’s GDP annually.

“Every sale lost to piracy is lost revenue to the government. We need proper collaborative efforts between the NCC, Customs, Police, and other security agencies to stem the tide of book piracy. When the heat is turned up by all security agencies, pirate operations will be drastically reduced,” he said.

Dauda urged the enforcement of Nigeria’s new copyright law, emphasising the need for stiff penalties against perpetrators and increased public awareness about the negative impact of piracy.

“In Nigeria, piracy has reached an alarming level. Pirates are now importing high-quality pirated books into the market. This is not just a threat to intellectual property—it’s a threat to our economy,” he said.

While advocating wider access to books, Dauda stressed the need to protect creators’ rights.

“There must be a balance between availability and ownership. Unauthorised printing or digital use of others’ intellectual property must be discouraged. Protecting content creators is essential to encouraging creativity and innovation,” he said.

He also highlighted the challenges facing the publishing industry in Nigeria, including high production costs and unfavorable business conditions.

“For years, Nigeria had no functional paper mill. Thanks to new mills in Ogun State, the situation is beginning to improve. Still, high exchange rates make book importation unattractive. Today, many publishers are operating just to survive, not to make profit,” Dauda said.

He warned that if unchecked, the current trend could erode the significant investments made by genuine publishers.

The event was attended by key stakeholders in the industry, including NPA Deputy President (West), Dr. Olakunle Sogbein; Executive Council member, Mrs. Folakemi Bademosi; Vice President, Mr. Seinde Ogunniyi; and other prominent members of the association.



https://punchng.com/publishers-seek-security-collaboration-to-curb-book-piracy/