Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called for a united and uncompromising fight against piracy in Africa’s entertainment industry.

This is contained in statement by the Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr John Asein, and made available to journalists by the NCC’s Director, Public Affairs, Ijeoma Egbunike  on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Sanwo-Olu, who made this call at 12th edition of the 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards(AMVCA) held in Lagos, warned that the remarkable achievements of the creative sector could be undermined if intellectual property theft was allowed to thrive.

Addressing hundreds of filmmakers, actors, producers, directors, and other creative professionals at the event, the governor said that creative excellence and artistic brilliance would amount to little,  if creators were denied the full economic rewards of their labour.

He said, “All of the great work you are  all doing will amount to nothing if we let piracy take shine out of all of this,” while acknowledging the growing global influence of African film, music and digital content.

Mr Sanwo-Olu  further lamented that piracy continued to drain revenue, discourage investment and weaken the long-term sustainability of the creative sector.

The governor noted that Africa’s creative industry was driven by extraordinary talent, creativity, and intellectual capacity.

He stressed that the gifts must translate into meaningful economic prosperity for creators and industry practitioners.

 “We need to kill piracy in whatever form, shape, because we want you all to be economically sound,  have the full benefit, as well as full economic benefit of your sweat,” he said

Earlier, Mr Asein reinforced the need for stronger collective action against piracy and copyright abuse.

The NCC DG further reminded the audience that piracy threatened creativity and the livelihood of all whose talents bring stories to life.

Reaffirming the commitment of the NCC to the protection of creators and creative enterprise, Mr Asein said that the strongest defence against piracy remained a shared culture of respect for copyright.

He urged stakeholders to unite in saying no to all forms of piracy and copyright abuse.

The strong anti-piracy messages delivered during the AMVCA reflected the growing recognition that copyright protection was essential to the sustainability, growth, and economic future of Africa’s creative industries.

(NAN)