Mr Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has described public service as a fundamental service to the nation, saying its true measure lies not merely in the number of years spent in office.
Fagbemi stated this on Saturday in Abuja at a send-off and appreciation ceremony, organised by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to honour its former directors-general and retired directors.
The minister, who was represented by Mr Patrick Oyor, Director of Legal Drafting in the Ministry of Justice, said public service should be measured by the institutions strengthened and the policies advanced.
He added that the development of effective systems, mentoring of people and creation of enduring legacies were also important measures of public service.
Fagbemi said the occasion provided the commission and the ministry with an important opportunity to formally acknowledge and appreciate the honourees for their years of leadership, commitment and invaluable service to the nation.
He said the years of dedicated service rendered by the former directors-general and retired directors contributed significantly to the growth of the commission.
He added that their contributions also played important roles in the development of copyright administration in Nigeria.
According to him, the NCC exists today as a product of the collective efforts of successive leaderships and generations of dedicated officers.
He warmly congratulated all the honourees on the recognition, describing the honour as well deserved.
Fagbemi said the distinguished former directors-general and retired directors occupied important places in the institutional history of the commission.
He noted that the honourees served at different stages in the evolution of Nigeria’s copyright system and contributed in various ways to its development.
According to him, their contributions helped strengthen copyright administration and enforcement across the country.
He added that they also contributed to stakeholder engagement, institutional capacity and Nigeria’s participation in the international copyright system.
Fagbemi said it was imperative to recognise that the work of building a public institution was not always immediately visible.
He explained that policies often required time to mature, while institutional systems evolved gradually and reforms frequently built on foundations laid many years earlier.
The minister observed that those who planted the seeds of institutional development might not always be present when the benefits were eventually realised.
He, however, stressed that their contributions remained indispensable to the success of the institution.
Fagbemi said it was therefore fitting for the commission to pause and acknowledge those whose labour had helped bring it to its present position.
He described the ceremony as much more than a formal send-off, saying it was also a celebration of service, institutional memory, leadership and continuity.
According to him, the event reminded stakeholders that strong public institutions were built over time through the contributions of different generations.
He said each generation had a responsibility to preserve what was good, improve upon what it inherited and leave stronger institutions for those coming after it.
Fagbemi commended the management and staff of the NCC for organising what he described as a remarkable ceremony in honour of the former leaders and retired directors.
He said the formal recognition of former leaders and officers was a commendable institutional practice that promoted a culture of gratitude.
The minister noted that such recognition demonstrated that dedicated public service was valued, appreciated and remembered.
Fagbemi, who thanked the honourees for their contributions to the NCC and the nation, said retirement from public service did not diminish the value of the experience of the retired officers or bring an end to their capacity to contribute.
The minister described the honourees as important members of the wider copyright family and valuable repositories of institutional knowledge, urging the commission to continue building on the foundations established by successive leaderships as it looked toward the future.
Fagbemi said the copyright environment was changing rapidly due to digital technologies, streaming platforms, artificial intelligence and new models of creating, distributing and exploiting creative works.
He noted that these developments were generating both opportunities and challenges for copyright administration in Nigeria.
According to him, the developments demands strong institutions, forward-looking laws and policies, effective enforcement and innovative regulation.
He added that sustained engagement with creators, investors and users of copyright works was also necessary to address the emerging challenges.
Fagbemi urged the commission to maintain appropriate channels through which it could continue to draw on the knowledge and experience of its former leaders and senior officers.
He assured that the Ministry of Justice would continue to support efforts to strengthen copyright administration and enforcement in the country.
According to him, the ministry will also promote an enabling legal and regulatory environment for Nigeria’s creative and knowledge economy to flourish.
He noted that the work of the NCC would become even more important to national development as the economic significance of creativity, innovation and intellectual property continued to grow.
Fagbemi described the occasion as one centred on gratitude and legacy, saying it recognised those who had served, preserved institutional memory and reminded serving officers that their contributions would become part of history.
He congratulated the honourees and thanked them for their service to the NCC and the nation, while urging the present leadership and staff of the commission to preserve the best traditions of the institution.
Also speaking, Mr Tosin Akeredolu, Acting Executive Director of the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG), pledged the association’s continued support for the legacies left by the honourees and expressed hope that they would remain available whenever their experience was needed.
Dr Usman Akanbi, President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), pledged the association’s support for the NCC in protecting the copyright and intellectual property of Nigerian writers, saying the commission had helped establish a coalition for better protection of writers’ intellectual property.
Akanbi congratulated those who had led the coalition, noting that the partnership between the Federal Government, through the NCC, and stakeholders had given writers greater priority in copyright protection.
Also speaking, Alhaji Isiaq Ajibola, Deputy President of the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), expressed excitement over the recognition of the former directors-general and retired directors.
Ajibola said copyright was not merely a legal terminology to publishers but a fundamental basis of their work and the knowledge economy.
He commended the NCC for its recent collaboration with the NPA, particularly in tackling piracy, and congratulating the honourees for their immense contributions to the commission.