By Benjamin Njoku

The family of the late Mr. Kola Muyi, former Deputy Director of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), has donated his extensive music collection to the Musical Copyright Society Nigeria Ltd/Gte (MCSN).

The collection includes vinyl records, VHS tapes, and audio cassettes.

The donation was formally presented by one of his daughters, Mrs. Kemi Muyi-Adeniyi, who currently serves as the Director of Content and Operations at Lagos State Television (LTV).

Speaking on behalf of the family, Mrs. Muyi-Adeniyi stated that the family believes MCSN is the most appropriate custodian of the collection, which will be preserved for the benefit of future generations, rather than be lost to the elements.

In his response, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MCSN, Mr. Mayo Ayilaran, expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Muyi family for finding MCSN worthy of receiving such a significant and historic musical archive. He assured that the materials will be preserved and made accessible to the public to support education, research, and historical appreciation of music in Nigeria.

He said, MCSN, as a Collective Management Organisation (CMO) remains committed to protecting the copyright of Nigerian musicians, both past and present.

In accordance with the Nigerian Copyright Act, musical works enjoy copyright protection throughout the lifetime of the author and for seventy (70) years after their death. Consequently, the children and legal estate of such creators are entitled to continue receiving royalties and enjoying the fruits of their creative labour wherever those works are exploited or infringed upon anywhere in the world.Mr. Ayilaran emphasized MCSN’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting Nigeria’s musical heritage and extended an open invitation to other individuals and families who may wish to contribute to the Society’s archive. “As we continue to connect creativity with prosperity, such donations will help preserve the legacies of our music pioneers,” he said.