DGN pays courtesy visit to AVRS, seeks expanded access to royalty benefits for members

By Benjamin Njoku

The National Executive of the Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN), led by its President, Uche Agbo, has paid a courtesy visit to Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Audio Visual Rights Society (AVRS) of Nigeria, to strengthen collaboration and improve access to royalty benefits for Nigerian filmmakers.

During the visit, the DGN President commended AVRS for its impactful contributions to the creative industry, particularly its role in supporting rights holders and sustaining the vision of its founding members. He specifically commended the AVRS leadership for the consistent disbursement of annual royalties, noting that the initiative has positively impacted many DGN members.

The visit also provided an opportunity for the Guild to seek clarity on the registration process for its members, especially those with published works on cable television networks.

The DGN president emphasized the need for inclusivity, requesting information on how filmmakers operating outside Lagos State can register with AVRS and benefit from its royalty distribution system.

In his response, Mr Ali-Balogun expressed appreciation for the visit and the recognition given to AVRS. He also lauded the leadership of the DGN under Mr Agbo, acknowledging ongoing efforts to reposition the Guild and enhance its professional standing.

The AVRS Chairman further commended members of the AVRS Board for their commitment to advancing the society’s vision with unity and without internal conflict. He clarified that AVRS operates not as a guild or association but as a collecting society under the supervision of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, serving film and screen directors, producers, lead actors, and writers whose works are properly credited.

Mr Ali-Balogun encouraged DGN members to register with AVRS to ensure they benefit from their creative outputs, stressing the importance of proper documentation and participation in the rights management framework.

Other dignitaries present at the meeting included Perekeme Odon, National Secretary of DGN; Osita Okoli, National Financial Secretary; and Chukwudi Chinedu, Copyright Expert and Consultant to AVRS.

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