The Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has called on musicians across the country to immediately register for the ongoing Copy Levy Beneficiary Verification exercise, stressing that failure to do so could mean missing out on upcoming royalty distributions. The appeal follows the release of the first tranche of the copyright levy fund, reportedly worth about ₦1.2 billion, under the provisions of the Copyright Act 2022. According to PMAN leadership, the verification process is designed to ensure that only legitimate and properly documented musicians benefit from the scheme, especially grassroots artists who are often left out of major industry payouts.

PMAN emphasized that the verification exercise is crucial in building a credible national database of practicing musicians, which will serve as the foundation for transparent and fair distribution of funds. The association encouraged musicians to update their records, provide accurate documentation of their works, and align with recognized collecting bodies such as the Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN). The levy system is intended to compensate creators for private copying and usage of their intellectual property, with oversight from the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC), the government agency responsible for copyright administration in the country.

Industry stakeholders have described the development as a significant step toward strengthening the creative economy and ensuring that performing musicians receive compensation for the commercial exploitation of their work. PMAN reiterated that transparency and participation are key, urging musicians not to ignore the verification process. With distribution expected to follow proper documentation and validation, artists who fail to register risk being excluded from future payouts tied to the copyright levy framework.