The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) on Tuesday destroyed pirated books valued at ₦141.5 million seized from bookshops and suppliers during enforcement operations across Oyo, Ogun, and Ibadan.
The destruction, supervised in Ibadan by NCC Oyo State Coordinator, Mrs Oluropo Oke, was conducted on behalf of NCC Director-General Dr John Asein. The seized books, collected over the past three years, included copies from markets in Abeokuta, Sango-Otta, and Ibadan.
“We valued the books before destruction and found their total worth to be ₦141,550,000,” Asein said, noting that some sellers could not prove the source of their purchases.
The NCC explained that original books differ from pirated copies in binding, colour, paper quality, and source. “We need to establish whether books were purchased from original publishers or acquired illegally from the streets,” Asein said.
He stressed that the Nigerian Copyright Act empowers the NCC to punish offenders through fines, forfeiture, and other legal measures, adding that book piracy undermines national economic growth and denies authors and publishers the benefits of their work.
To prevent environmental harm, the commission shredded the books instead of burning them, ensuring that pirated materials would not re-enter circulation. “We encourage booksellers to buy directly from publishers or authorised representatives, not from illegal sources,” Asein added.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Mr Rotimi Iyiola, described the operation as a welcome step. “Book piracy causes enormous economic damage, not only to authors and publishers but also to workers and their families, and deprives the government of revenue,” he said.
Iyiola praised the NCC for its dedication and reaffirmed the NPA’s commitment to cooperating with the commission to curb piracy effectively.
The crackdown highlights ongoing efforts to protect intellectual property rights in Nigeria and safeguard the livelihoods of those in the publishing industry.
