The Director General of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein, has charged corporate bodies and relevant authorities in the education sector to start investing in children to support their academic skills in spoken word, poetry or in creative writing.

Asein gave the charge during the prize-giving event for winner of the 2023 Creative Writing Competition – Essay Category held at Muslim Model College, Joyce B’ Road, Ibadan

Miss Firdaous Ikeoluwa Ojutalayo, a Senior Secondary School (SS2) student of Muslim Model College, emerged winner at the 2023 Creative Writing Competition-Essay Category held in the country and was consequently honoured with Award of Excellence by the commission at the school hall amid pomp and colour.

In his remarks, the DG, who was represented by the Deputy Director Public Affairs, Mrs. Ijeoma Egbunike, said the call on relevant authorities and corporate bodies became imperative to ensure that talents of children are being exhibited whether in spoken word, poetry or in any creative writing.

Asein said the commission has commenced a series of public education and enlightenment campaigns as a prelude to a full scale proactive enforcement initiative as well as enhancing the collective management of rights to work with various stakeholders and relevant agencies.

“I am calling on relevant authorities in Nigeria as well as corporate bodies to start investing in children wherever they are and whenever their talents are being exhibited, whether it is in spoken word, poetry or whether it is in creative writing.

“We should support them, because if a child does not see that the society is encouraging writing, he or she may begin to feel that there is no future in writing.

“Let me use this opportunity to advise schools and their students to join in the fight against piracy by refusing to patronise pirated books or pirating other people’s works. Piracy is a cankerworm that eats up the very fabric of the nation’s economy as it steals from right owners and kills creativity.”

According to him, the NCC will publish the winning essays, poems and short stories to encourage the children, just as he assured that competition has come to stay, urging children to continue to participate as this will help to nurture their talents.

He said her dedication to the craft of writing serves as an inspiration to aspiring wordsmiths in the country, jus as they eagerly anticipate the future literary endeavours that lie ahead for a greater Nigeria.

In her address, the state coordinator of the commission, Mrs. Olabisi Ogundiran said there were 700 entries from across the country.

She urged the student not to relent in their ability to achieve excellence in their studies, while admonishing others to take a cue from the winner

Ogundiran said the essence of every creative work is to make economic gains, saying it is bad for any other person to steal such property or creative work, which does not belong to them.

She urged the people to always protect their intellectual works from being pirated or stolen.