Michael Ogbu

A few days ago, the Nigerian blogosphere was awash with some controversial details of an interview granted by Logos Olori, an unpopular Nigerian singer and songwriter. As revealed in the interview, he, alongside Peruzzi, was the original writer of “Unavailable”, a sensational song that had earned Davido (one of the most popular Nigerian singers) a Grammy nomination. But, as is often the case, most of the bloggers in their superficial reportage were quick to downplay Logos’ contribution in the making of the song, commenting that it was never about who wrote a song as it was about who sang it beautifully.

However, while my hunch about the interview being a promotional stunt had proved true when it was reported that the duo, Logos and Davido were set to release a song together; the conversation had prodded my thoughts, getting my mind hooked on a concern I have harboured for a long time – the value of Intellectual Property in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, I’m not here to point out any reported or suspected Intellectual Property infringement in the case of Logos and Davido. No, that is not what this is about. Actually, my concerns bother unreservedly on the alarming decline in the value of creativity in Nigeria – the glaring lack or absence of value for ideas in relation to accomplishments – the Process vs. Product conflict.

Nowadays, people hardly care about the resourcefulness of a productive idea as much as they do an enriching outcome. Take for instance, when we come across a beautifully designed edifice, you’d find a greater number of the admirers mostly commenting about the owner; wow! Who is the owner of this big beautiful mansion? OMG! The person must be very rich, etcetera. Hardly would you find someone say a word in praise of the creative, the architect who had thought out such an amazing design. And this goes for every other aspect of the creative industry.

The issue of Intellectual property, especially as it has to do with the Nigerian entertainment space has been a very critical one. It is an aspect that is hugely undermined and misconstrued by the various stakeholders of the industry. And while the big players have learned over the years to cover their tracks legally, the continued devaluation and shadowing of intellectual property in the creative world remains, leading to a consistent decline in the quality and beauty of our crafts.

Evidently, the quality of our art has kept diminishing in response to our value system which has grossly shifted from the Mind to the Man. Creativity is now determined by the Name as against the Substance (the quality of the craft), thereby relegating intellectual property to the background of creativity and innovation. 

In other words, we have failed to acknowledge that Intellectual Property (IP) which at best, is described as an intangible asset is a veritable component of creativity. IP as explained by WIPO, “refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce”. It embodies the origination of any craft which in ideal sense should be considered the most significant and indispensable. It is a pivotal aspect which, unfortunately, has now been blatantly repressed to a fading shadow of itself. The emphasis has, over the years, moved from creativity to marketing – branding and sales. Every passing day, the fruit of our art is being squeezed by our inherent disregard for intellectual property; its juice, dissipating speedily, leaving us with a fleeting taste of some packaged chaffs.

Without a doubt, the tree of the Nigerian entertainment industry is blooming. The growth and exposure is astronomical. Yet, I’d dare to ask: how much of its products leave the desired lasting taste? And as we ponder over that, I’d suggest that we humbly concede to our collective culpability. The fact that little attention or credit is being given to the minds behind the big ideas – the brains behind our greatest literary and artistic works – has led to the prevalent drain. Our actions and inactions are responsible for the rush for ephemeral gratifications. The sudden scamper to get recognised, to blow had been occasioned by the type of value we have created around work and reward.

But, that has to change.

While I agree with the folks who argue that every one of the players in the industry does not have to be on the spotlight at the same time, and that there is a pecking order, a rung that runs from bottom up; I also iterate the need to consciously acknowledge all the key actors accordingly. To compensate appropriately. Thankfully, there are provisions of our extant laws for the protection of Intellectual Property through Patent, Copyright, and Trademark. However, its promotion which will ultimately engender creativity and innovation lies in our value system. We must understand that the day we begin to apportion the right amount of value to Intellectual Property is the day we would be paying ourselves forward, investing prudently on our creative industry which in turn would yield the most ripened fruits. We can do better than settle for the chaffs. Talents abound.