Stakeholders in Nigeria’s music industry want all radio and TV stations across the country to stop playing music from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday in solidarity with the nation’s creative industry, which is fighting piracy and copyright infringement.

Monday Sept. 1 is the sixth annual No Music Day in Nigeria, designed to focus attention on intellectual property of composers, songwriters, performers and music publishers, AllAfrica reports.

As part of its activities, the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition wants all stations sympathetic to the plight of the music industry to dedicate an hour to debate, discussion, interviews and documentaries on the state of intellectual property rights and the rights of creative people in Africa’s most populous country. Newspapers and magazines are also being encouraged to do special features to mark the day.

The Copyright Society of Nigeria will fly its flags at half-mast in commemoration of the day. A bonfire of pirated materials will be lit at the society’s headquarters against piracy that has plagued the nation’s creative industry, AllAfrica reports.

Tony Okoroji is chairman of the Copyright Society of Nigeria. Speaking on No Music Day, he said, “No Music Day is a day the music industry in Nigeria comes together to say no to the incessant abuse of our rights. For too long our industry has
suffered great loss because of piracy. We have watched
big record companies close shop and move away from
Nigeria while our young talents roam the streets looking
for record deals. This has got to stop. No more will we
tolerate the years of ‘monkey dey work, baboon dey
chop’. Piracy is a crime against creativity which must
be brought to an end urgently.”

John E. Udegbunam, President of Music Label Owners & Recording Industries Association of Nigeria,  said, “We want to call on all lovers of good music to join the No Music Day campaign as we forge ahead for a more vibrant Nigerian music
industry. We appeal to all users of music to ensure that they obtain the appropriate license for the music they deploy, this way we can ensure that our creativity outlives us.”

The first No Music Day was held Sept. 1, 2009 bringing to an end a one-week hunger strike campaign by Nigerian artistes condemning the abuse of their rights.

Read more at AllAfrica.