PAWA Commends FG Payment of the Copyright Levy Fund

The Pan-African Writers Association of Nigeria (PAWA) has commended the Federal Government on the payment of the first tranche of the Copyright Levy Fund.

The fund, which amounts to N1.21 billion ($840,000), was paid to the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), which will then disburse it to the three Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) for print (authors and publishers), and audio-visual recorders (musicians, filmmakers).

Established in 1988, the Copyright Levy Fund had never been implemented until February 2026, when it was activated by the federal government, under section 89 of the Copyright Act 2022.

Thus, the law, among other objectives, ensures that copyright/rights holders for any print, audio, or audio-visual work are compensated for the private, non-commercial reproduction of their works. This is done through the imposition of fees on electronic gadgets such as phones, cameras, computers, USB drives, printers, etc. that are used or can be used to infringe copyright.

The decision to break the disbursement into phases is to first, allow for the establishment of administrative systems that will enable CMOs perform the verification and database updates required to ensure funds reach both grassroots and urban creatives. Second, ensure the budget accommodates a wider, verified pool of applicants. Three, make it easier for the NCC, which is the disbursing agent, to oversee and manage the fund, and finally, prevent circumstances where disbursement is halted midway owing to disagreements regarding payment portions.

If paid as when due and properly administered, the fund can be a source of revenue for creatives, a reliable income stream for creators in a challenging economic environment. It can reduce poverty among artistes, particularly by supporting creative practitioners at the grassroots level, and also modernise copyright protection.

PAWA, in a statement signed by its President, Professor Bill Ndi, and the Secretary General, Dr. Wale Okediran, indicated the political will to activate such a ‘wonderful and historic gesture’ and ‘important economic stimulus for creatives’.

The association urged the beneficiaries of the fund to ensure its transparent and equitable distribution through the associations of rights holders of literary and creative works.