AFRIMAs to host emergency music summit today

Scheduled for 6pm WAT, the event – held in collaboration with the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN), the Record Label Proprietors Initiative (RELPI), the Association of Music Artist Managers of Nigeria (AMAMN) and the Music Publishers Association of Nigeria (MPAN) – is meant to align with the AFRIMAs’ commitment to addressing critical challenges in the music industry.

The organisers anticipate various industry stakeholders to attend. AFRIMAs president Mike Dada, who described the first emergency summit in October as symbolic and fruitful, expressed optimism about the meeting’s outcomes and said he anticipated appreciation not only from Nigerian entertainment stakeholders but also from those in other African countries and the diaspora.

PMAN president Pretty Okafor stressed the need for the meeting to educate and engage sectoral bodies about the roles, responsibilities, obligations and benefits of the music industry. “It is very necessary for all players within the music ecosystem, especially the artists, to join relevant organisations to further guarantee and protect them and their crafts,” he said.

RELPI head Chinedu Chukwuji said the summit would offer a collective voice for the local recording industry on policy, protection, enforcement of intellectual property rights. It would also provide an engagement platform for stakeholders such commercial music users, regulators, the government and trade associations to advance members’ interests.

The AFRIMAs’ first emergency meeting was held with the participation of more than 70 key industry players. The resolutions and action plans adopted at the summit included a consensus that although legislation is the cornerstone of a successful and sustainable music industry, there is a need for well-crafted regulations to protect the rights of artists, creators and record labels while promoting investment and fostering a vibrant music ecosystem.

The participants also called for a legal framework for minimum entry requirements for industry players, including musicians and record labels, to encourage higher standards in the local music ecosystem.