Recording industry bosses in Nigeria have united in their fight against music piracy, asking radio broadcasters to observe a No-Music Day.
Executives at the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition claim their artists are not being paid royalties when their songs are played on the radio – and are demanding stations go silent on Tuesday (1Sep09).
According to coalition spokesperson Efe Omorogbe, many stations and nightclubs, particularly in the city of Lagos, see obtaining music licences as an “alien idea”.
Omorogbe tells the BBC’s Network Africa, “There are probably more radio stations in Lagos than in two other African countries put together. Lagos stations do not pay royalties. The system has failed to structure itself in such a way that people are compelled to pay.”