The Nigerian literary community has resolved to form a collective body that will champion authors’ rights, promote equitable royalties, and strengthen copyright protection within the creative industry.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian literary community has resolved to form a collective body that will champion authors’ rights, promote equitable royalties, and strengthen copyright protection within the creative industry.
This was part of the resolutions reached at the Poets in Nigeria (PIN) 10th Anniversary Public Lecture held on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in Lagos.
According to a communiqué issued after the event, the gathering, themed “Beyond the Manuscript: Towards Equitable Royalties and Copyright Structures in Nigeria’s Literary Ecosystem,” brought together stakeholders from various literary bodies to deliberate on challenges facing writers and publishers.
“The Nigerian literary community has taken a significant step toward strengthening the country’s copyright and royalty system for writers.
“Stakeholders resolved to form a coalition that will advocate for equitable remuneration for authors and enforce copyright protection across the industry,” the communiqué stated.
The lecture, anchored by Paul T. Liam, featured Odoh Diego Okenyodo and Richard Mammah as guest speakers, with participants drawn from PIN, Splendors of Dawn Poetry Foundation, LITACO, Fahimta Literary Discourse, and other literary groups.
An interim Steering Committee was constituted to midwife the process of establishing a Literary Collecting Society of Nigeria (LITCOSON). The committee is co-led by Richard Mammah, Odoh Diego Okenyodo, and Awele Ilusanmi.
The communiqué, signed by Eriata Oribhabor, Founder of Poets in Nigeria, noted that the coalition will engage the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and other stakeholders to ensure writers’ rights are protected and rewarded.
Writers Form Coalition to Push for Fair Royalties, Copyright Reforms
