Advancing Open Culture Practices in Nigeria’s GLAM Sector: A Comprehensive Report on the In-Person Panel Discussion
The Open Culture Community is actively fostering sustainable open licensing practices in Nigeria. In line with this goal, a series of in-person events were recently organized to further nurture the community and emphasize the importance of making collections in GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) more accessible. These events, which took place in Kwara State, encompassed a panel discussion and two hands-on training sessions, all attended by key stakeholders from various GLAM institutions which include;
Bar. Abdullateef Lanre Abdullahi (Legal/Prosecution Unit), Mrs . Bello, (State Coordinator) Nigerian Copyrights Commission Ilorin, Dr. Samiat Abubakre (Lecturer, Department of Linguistics, University of Ilorin), Dr. Ajani Florence (Deputy University Librarian, Kwara State University), Mr. Iliasu Mohammed (Director, Kwara State Library Board) Mrs. Zubeda A. Oniyangi, (Librarian, Ghalib Chambers Library) Mr. Kayode the Library Coordinator at the Mustapha Akanbi Library and Resource Centre and Representatives from the National Library of Nigeria, Kwara State Branch, among others.
On day one of the event, Bukola James, the project lead of the community, revealed findings of the pre-assessment needs to the participants which revealed that GLAM professionals and institutions were not familiar with the Open culture terms; open GLAM, open culture practices, open licensing, Creative Commons licensing, among others and the need to continuously hold in-person discussions was inevitable.
According to our findings, 44% of the total respondents were not familiar with open GLAM and had not heard the word before; 17% were not familiar with open GLAM activities; 58% needed more details about the Nigerian Copyright Act; 44% did not understand open licensing and 44% do not know what Creative Commons licensing and attributions mean or how they can be applied to their work or collections.
It was an honour to have the keynote address delivered by Bar. Abdullateef Lanre Abdullahi from the Legal/Prosecution Unit of the NCC, Ilorin Office, the keynote emphasised the crucial role of copyright in Nigerian society and the significance of preserving and promoting cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and practices.
He addressed the importance of intellectual property (IP), and provided clarity to the following key areas:
- Nature of Copyright: Copyright, a branch of IP, rewards inventors for their creations. It gives creators exclusive rights to their work, encompassing moral and economic rights. Copyright includes various types of works like literary, musical, artistic, audio-visual works, sound recordings, and broadcasting.
- Copyright Duration: Copyright is not perpetual; it expires after a set duration, leading the work into the public domain.
- Clarification on IP: Other branches of IP include patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and more. There’s often confusion between these branches, leading to people approaching the wrong offices.
- Nigerian Copyright Law: The Copyright Act of 2022 governs Nigerian copyright, aiming to protect inventors, set limitations and exceptions, comply with international treaties, and guide the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC).
- Role of the NCC: Established in 1989, the NCC combats piracy and promotes creativity. Their strategies include enlightenment campaigns, inspections, surveillance, raids, and prosecutions. Copyright disputes can be civil, criminal, or both and are handled by the Federal High Court.
- Promotion of Reading: The NCC has been actively promoting reading and writing, evidenced by its collaborations with various associations.
- E-Registration System: While copyright works have automatic protection, the NCC’s e-Registration system serves to maintain a record of such works.
- Recent Developments: The NCC recently secured the amendment of the Copyright Act in 2022 to address contemporary challenges and adopt global best practices.
- Collaborations: The NCC works with various agencies, international organizations, and embassies to foster creativity and combat IP crimes. The NCC fully supports initiatives aimed at establishing an open culture community and sustainable open licensing practices in Nigeria and encourages further collaboration.
- Traditional Knowledge (TK) & Cultural Expressions: IP, particularly TK and traditional cultural expressions, can leverage Nigeria’s unique cultural values for economic development. The NCC emphasizes licensing for traditional creativities and promotes open access to cultural heritage digitally.
- Highlighting Local Industries: In recent endeavours, the NCC has spotlighted local traditional industries like the weaving of Aso-Oke, a cloth indigenous to the people of Ilorin, and the manufacturing of various ceramics, some of which have significant historical and economic relevance.
The keynote address was relevant to understanding what connection exists between the Nigerian Copyrights Commission and how they can support the open culture community initiative of sustainability open license practices.
In order to address the low awareness level of GLAM professionals to open culture practices and platforms, Barakat Adegboye, one of the project’s facilitators, delivered a presentation which was titled “Nigeria Copyright Act and Open Culture Practices”. She provided a detailed explanation of the key focus areas such as:
- Introduction to Nigeria copyright act and open culture practices in glam institutions.
- Key points about the Nigeria Copyright Act
- Open culture in glam institutions in Nigeria
- Open Culture Practices in Nigeria
- Benefits of open culture practices
- Challenges and considerations
- The way forward
- Conclusion
After the presentation, we moved on to the panel discussion which was focused on: Open Culture Practices in Nigeria: The Way Forward
The panel discussion centered around some questions that arose from the keynote speaker’s address and the presentation led by Barakat Adegboye.
Some of the questions asked before the panel discussions include;
- When will a creative work, jointly authored by two individuals, enter the public domain if one of the authors passes away while the other is still alive?
- After how many years does music enter the public domain?
- How does the NCC protect the rights of copyright holders online?
- How does the NCC fight plagiarism?
During the panel discussion, we focused on the challenges raised by both GLAM professionals and other key stakeholders in attendance which included:
- How can we raise awareness among GLAM institutions about the benefits and opportunities of open practices?
- What measures can be taken to address the challenges faced by GLAM institutions in implementing open practices, especially in terms of copyright compliance?
- How can collaborations between GLAM institutions, government agencies, and the private sector be fostered to maximize the benefits of open culture practices for the broader Nigerian society?
- How can Nigeria’s Copyright Law be further improved or amended to better support open culture practices in GLAM institutions?
- Considering the limited resources, how can smaller GLAM institutions actively participate in open culture initiatives?
Some of the feedback collected in response to these questions includes:
- Many GLAM institutions and users do not have adequate awareness of open culture practices. This gap can be addressed by enhancing awareness about open culture practices through initiatives such as this one.
- There is a need for the provision of more digital resources and infrastructure to enhance digitization and easy access to cultural materials.
- Ensuring proper attribution and integrity of cultural works is crucial in open culture practices.
- Copyright interpretation should not be too ambiguous for creative authors and GLAM professionals to understand and a recommendation was for NCC to create a more user-friendly toolkit that will eliminate the ambiguity as this can discourage institutions from engaging in open culture practices.
- There is a need to address legal and policy gaps attached to copyrighted materials/collections in GLAM institutions in order to create an enabling environment for open practices.
- There should be a strong collaboration between GLAM institutions and copyright holders which will be very useful to open up more collections and eliminate the idea of foot traffic and sentiments around open licensing leading to loss of revenue for creatives and see the long-term goal of open licensing, creating more visibility to GLAM collections and sustainable preservation of GLAM to establish their digital footprints.
Upon completion of the panel discussion, further recommendations were made, which included:
- The need to raise awareness about open culture practices and their benefits is crucial for wider adoption.
- Engaging with policymakers to address copyright ambiguities and promote open culture practices would be highly beneficial.
- The provision of training and resources for GLAM and Copyright experts on open licensing practices, using Creative Commons licensing will enhance their understanding and implementation of open culture practices.
- Fostering partnerships between GLAM institutions, NCC, the Creative Commons open culture community, copyright holders, and the public will encourage collaboration and innovation.
- Promoting the use of open culture practices and open content platforms will facilitate broader access and collaboration in the future.
The panel discussion, driven by insightful questions, emphasized the need for greater collaboration among GLAM institutions, government bodies, copyright holders, and the private sector. The discourse revolved around strategies to raise awareness, improve copyright compliance, and develop partnerships that facilitate the expansion of open culture practices. Addressing ambiguities in copyright interpretation, promoting the use of open content platforms, and ensuring proper attribution of cultural works emerged as crucial steps toward realizing the potential of open culture initiatives.
In light of the recommendations put forth, it is evident that there is a strong desire and commitment to promote open culture practices within Nigeria’s GLAM sector. By leveraging the insights gained from this event, stakeholders can work collaboratively to bridge the awareness gap, address legal and policy challenges, and foster an environment conducive to open practices. Ultimately, the trajectory set forth by this event holds the promise of a more accessible, collaborative, and innovative landscape for cultural preservation and creative expression in Nigeria.
More details about the open culture community can be found on Meta.
