The Record Label Proprietors Initiative (ReLPI), Nigeria’s association of record labels, has raised objections to the Nigerian Copyright Commission’s plan to disburse copyright levy funds to a collective management organization that does not represent its members.
In a letter to the NCC dated January 21, 2026 – see full letter here, ReLPI Chairman Tega Oghenejobo, who is also COO of Mavin Records, stated the disbursement process “fails to align with standard practice” in both establishing shares among rights classes and distributing levy proceeds.
The dispute centers on whether the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN), the sole CMO approved by the NCC, has the mandate to collect and distribute the private copying levy on behalf of ReLPI members. The private copying levy compensates rightsholders for the informal use of copyrighted material through devices like USB drives, memory cards, mobile phones, and hard drives.
According to ReLPI, its members have exercised their rights under Section 88(9b) of Nigeria’s Copyright Act 2022 to opt out of the collective management structure. The organization argues that Section 89(3) of the same Act allows the NCC to disburse funds to “approved CMOs or other representatives of right owners,” which ReLPI claims includes their organization as a mandated representative of sound recording rights owners.
ReLPI membership includes major Nigerian labels and international companies: Mavin Records, Chocolate City, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW), Premier Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Digital Music Commerce & Exchange, and Hypertek Digital.
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has also written to the NCC regarding the matter. In a January 22, 2026 letter signed by IFPI’s Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa Angela Ndambuki, the organization called for a disbursement process that is “judicious, equitable, transparent, and protective of the interests of the right owners.”
IFPI recommended pausing disbursement “given the risk of irreversible prejudice if funds attributed to sound recordings are disbursed to an entity lacking the mandate of the relevant right holders.”
The NCC has reportedly maintained its position to disburse the levy to MCSN as Nigeria’s only recognized CMO. MCSN describes itself on its website as “the only Collective Management Organization (CMO) approved by the Nigerian Copyright Commission to license, monitor, and distribute royalties for Musical Works and Sound Recordings in Nigeria.”
This dispute represents the latest development in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to establish effective royalty collection and distribution systems. The country’s music industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, with IFPI reporting 22.6% revenue growth in Sub-Saharan Africa for 2024.
