By Benjamin Njoku

Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria, AVRS, Nigeria’s sole collective management organization for audiovisual works berths in the oil-rich Rivers and Delta States on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 and Thursday, September 21, 2023 respectively for major stakeholders’ conference for users of copyright and right owners of audiovisual works in the South– South region.

The select stakeholders’ fora which are scheduled to hold back-to-back at the prestigious Le Meridien Hotels (Ogeyi Place), GRA Phase II in the heart of the garden city, Port Harcourt and Best Western Hotel, GRA in the beautiful city of Asaba will be an important gathering of creators, actors, producers, filmmakers, hotels, restaurants, television stations, transport companies, video streaming services, OTT platforms among others in the Niger Delta states and their surrounding states.

The fora will also be attended by officials of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), the Federal government agency responsible for copyright regulation, administration and enforcement in Nigeria.

Speaking on the upcoming events, foremost filmmaker and Chairman of AVRS, Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun said, “the Forum is aimed at providing continuous education and enlightenment on the need for commercial and public users of audiovisual works to meet their copyright obligations to AVRS in line with the extant laws. Such compliance from the users ensures that filmmakers and copyright owners in the film sectors are compensated for their creativity and labour.

Speaking further, li-Balogun said “the Fora would also provide AVRS the opportunity to initiate functional partnerships with Rivers and Delta States Government, hotel unions, broadcast organizations and other relevant stakeholders in Rivers and Delta States and their neighbouring States in the South-South and South East regions of the country.