MultiChoice Nigeria, the operator of DStv, organised and led an anti-piracy march in Lagos on Thursday, drawing creatives to spotlight the rising threat of online content theft to the country’s entertainment industry.
The march started at Ikeja City Mall, went along Awolowo Way past Allen Junction, and returned to the mall. It brought together actors, filmmakers, writers, musicians, producers, skit makers, directors, broadcasters, and fans. Participants wore branded T-shirts and caps with the slogan ‘Say No to Piracy’ and handed out educational flyers to people along the route.
The event formed part of a broader campaign to highlight the growing threat of digital piracy in Nigeria, where illegal streaming platforms continue to undermine investment in film, television, and music.
Creatives at the march said revenue losses had become unsustainable, warning that the country’s booming entertainment industry risked stagnation without stronger public support and enforcement.
The Executive Head of Corporate Affairs, MultiChoice Nigeria, Caroline Oghuma, said the company’s presence at the protest was aimed at raising awareness about the human impact of piracy, particularly among creative professionals who depend on royalties, cinema runs, and licensing fees.
“A lot of people have consumed pirated content without realising it is a crime,” she told reporters at the campaign. “It may look like a free opportunity, but on the back end, someone else is paying the price. Producers cannot recover their costs, loans cannot be repaid, and livelihoods are destroyed.”
Oghuma revealed that during the most recent season of Big Brother Naija, six million illegal Instagram links streaming the programme were flagged and taken down, with similar cases recorded on Telegram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms.
She added that MultiChoice had stepped up education efforts through school outreach programmes, continuous public campaigns, and guidelines for responsible online streaming. The company’s anti-piracy unit also works with global tech platforms to restrict unauthorised uploads of high-profile content.
Nigeria’s entertainment industry has experienced exponential growth over the past two decades, producing thousands of films annually and generating billions in revenue. However, digital piracy has emerged as a persistent threat, costing producers, distributors, and creators substantial income and discouraging investment.
The Deputy Director of Operations at the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Charles Amudipe, said the agency had intensified its clampdown on online piracy, shutting down more than 20 illegal streaming websites over the past two months.
“Piracy has moved to the Internet space, and the Nigerian Copyright Commission is moving with it,” he said. “We have shut down over 20 websites that were broadcasting works illegally for commercial gain, and we are continuing our enforcement.”
He added that a popular pirate operator had recently been arrested and was facing legal action, stressing that the NCC’s mandate included public enlightenment, making its support for the march essential. Stakeholders say meaningful progress requires a combination of stricter enforcement, industry collaboration, and greater public awareness of the legal and ethical consequences of piracy.
Organisers said the campaign would continue across schools, communities, and digital platforms, with a renewed push to educate young people on intellectual property rights. Award-winning film director Obi Emelonye, who joined the march, described piracy as a long-standing scourge that continued to deprive creatives of fair compensation.
“Piracy hurts the entire industry,” he said. “People spend their blood, sweat, and tears making films, only for someone to hijack the work. You are taking food off people’s tables.”
He warned that unchecked piracy made corporate investors hesitant to fund Nollywood projects, adding that the industry could only grow if cinemas, distributors, regulators, and the public worked collectively to reduce content theft. “We may not eliminate it completely, but we can bring it to a tolerable level,” Emelonye said. “As individuals, we must choose not to consume pirated films or subscribe to illegal websites.”
