Nigeria destroys pirated materials worth $238 million

[Richard Akindele]

Nigeria has destroyed 30 billion naira (about 238 million U.S. dollars) worth of pirated materials nationwide since the beginning of this year, the official News Agency of Nigeria reported on Saturday.

Samuel Udowo, director of the Finance Department of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), was quoted as saying that the commission's zonal offices across the country had confiscated various kinds of pirated materials including VCDs, CDs, books and video cassettes.

"Piracy has negatively affected the importation of foreign works into Nigeria," he said, while calling for commitment and honesty from staff of the commission.

The NCC official also reiterated the commission's resolve to rid Nigeria of illegal works.

Udowo maintained that piracy remained illegal as "it steals income from creators, kills creativity, destroys the economy and is an economic sabotage."

The commission's anti-piracy program, he added, "is focused on property right, public enlightenment and administration of the right to protect the creativity rights of individuals."

Xinhua