Entertainment
COSON Calls for End of ‘Divide and Rule’ in Nigerian Music Industry
Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the nation’s largest copyright collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings, has called for the coming together of the different interest groups within the music industry to properly tackle the problems of the industry, and to end the era of ‘divide and rule’ which it says has been deployed to pauperize the stakeholders in the Nigerian music industry.
In his “No Music Day” address to the nation issued from COSON House in Ikeja, and syndicated on multiple media platforms across the nation and across the world on September 1, 2020, the Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria, Chief Tony Okoroji, said, “On this ‘No Music Day’, we must tell the musicians of Nigeria that our problems will not be solved until we stop the bickering and factionalization in our industry which most times are exploited to keep us down. We must work together in the interest of our country and the young people who look towards us for guidance. We must understand that in a democracy, there will be alternative points of view. Each alternative view should not result in the setting up of an alternative faction”
Continued Chief Okoroji, “We should no longer tolerate a situation where there are diverse organizations in the industry that upon close observation provide no answers and do nothing for anyone except those who claim to be their leaders”
In the words of the celebrated former President of PMAN, “All true musicians in Nigeria must be terribly embarrassed by the endless finger pointing and dirty name calling that have become the order of the day in PMAN, the once most admired and important national association whose image has been badly damaged and which has been made the laughing stock of the nation. The time has come for the bickering and quarrelling to stop and for those in the industry who truly have the interest of musicians at heart to come together and work with one another to ensure that the industry speaks with one voice on critical issues. We must take to heart the immortal words of the late Dr Martin Luther King Jnr who said, ‘We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools’”.
Speaking on the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on the music industry Chief Okoroji held that while the pandemic has hit practically everyone badly, it has been devastating for musicians in Nigeria. According to him, with all event venues shut down, event centres, hotels and nightclubs closed, no birthdays, no weddings, no product launches, no concerts and not even funerals allowed, the income of thousands of musicians in Nigeria has been crushed.
He declared that it was as a result of this devastating situation that during the Coronavirus lock down, the COSON Board took the bull by the horn and earmarked the sum of N72.5 million naira of COSON money for distribution to musicians across Nigeria to cushion the crushing effects of the pandemic. According to him, “the great lesson is that there was no quarrel whatsoever about the distribution of the money because it was done transparently. Of course, we could have done a whole lot more if the many obstacles placed in our way by the Nigerian environment were not there”
Said the COSON Chairman, “the fact that this broadcast is being made from the magnificent COSON House in Ikeja built without one naira of government money, no loan, grant or debt whatsoever places on record what the Nigerian creative community can do if no shackles are placed on us.
“We have read in the newspapers and heard on broadcast media that the government is interested in providing COVID 19 palliatives for the creative industry. We find it odd that as the one Nigerian organization with the greatest number of creative people and undeniable structure, several months into the COVID 19 lockdown, nobody has reached out to us, nobody has asked us any questions and nobody has provided any palliatives”.
TO WATCH THE “NO MUSIC DAY” 2020 OFFICIAL STATEMENT AS READ BY COSON CHAIRMAN, CHIEF TONY OKOROJI ON BEHALF OF THE NIGERIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY KINDLY CLICK ON THIS LINK
Members of Nigeria’s entertainment industry turned out in large numbers on Wednesday for the service of songs of late actor Alex Ekubo.
Ekubo died on May 11, 2026, after a battle with kidney cancer.
Colleagues, friends, and dignitaries filled The Monarch Event Centre for the ceremony, dressed strictly in white as requested by the Ekubo family.
Attendees included Funke Akindele, Kate Henshaw, Chioma Akpotha, Ebele Okaro, Nancy Isime, Ruth Kadiri, Nkechi Blessing, Stan Nze, Blessing Obasi, Ik Ogbonna, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, singer Chike, and socialite Cubana Chief Priest.
The evening featured worship led by gospel ministers Peterson Okopi and Ebuka Songs, with Pastor Jerry Eze, Nathaniel Bassey, and Kaestrings also ministering.
The Ekubo family had earlier released an obituary on the late actor’s Instagram page, asking the public to keep them in prayer.
Wednesday’s service of songs officially opened Alex Ekubo’s burial rites.
The funeral moves to Arochukwu, Abia State, for a wake-keep on June 17, with burial scheduled for June 18.
Tamunosoye Karibi-George has been crowned Miss World Nigeria 2026 after emerging winner at the pageant’s grand finale held at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
The 26-year-old beauty queen, who represented Bayelsa State and hails from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, beat 19 other contestants in the competition themed “Pride, Power and Purpose.”
She succeeds Joy Mojisola Raimi, Miss World Nigeria 2025, and will represent Nigeria at the 73rd Miss World Festival scheduled to hold in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from August 9 to September 5, 2026.
Miss Karibi-George is the founder of Beyond Labels, an initiative that supports children with special needs and promotes inclusion and equal opportunities.
Joining Karibi-George in the top five were Dionne Chisom Nwagbo of Anambra State, who finished as first runner-up; Shuntell Ezomo of Edo State, who emerged second runner-up; Irene Irene of Abuja; and Gold of Rivers State.
Miss World Nigeria, organized by the Silverbird Group, is one of Nigeria’s leading beauty pageants and selects the country’s representative for the international Miss World competition.
Award-winning artiste – Davido – is scheduled to perform at FIFA’s World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles, adding another major global platform to his career.
Davido will perform alongside Major Lazer, the music project led by producer Diplo.
FIFA announced the lineup on Instagram, noting that more special guests will be unveiled in the coming days.
The concert is part of FIFA’s first synchronised live entertainment series across the tournament’s three host nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“Featuring Diplo’s Major Lazer and Davido, and more special guests to be announced soon,” FIFA wrote.
The Los Angeles show will open doors at 5:00pm PT, with the live broadcast beginning at 6:00pm PT.
The series is designed to link audiences across the host countries, with simultaneous live performances streamed from Mexico City and Toronto.
FIFA said the event will stream globally across its digital platforms, including an exclusive livestream on TikTok.
Full concert and behind-the-scenes footage will be available on VuMe Live the following day.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11, 2026.
