WorldStage– The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has restated its commitment to fair, balanced and humane copyright system where authors would be protected and rights respected.
Dr John Asein, Director- General of the commission gave the assurance in a statement by the commission’s Director, Public Affairs, Mrs Ijeoma Egbunike in commemoration of the 2026 World Braille Day, on Sunday in Abuja.
World Braille Day is a day dedicated to celebrate Braille as one of humanity’s most transformative innovations for literacy, independence and dignity.
According to Asein, NCC’s commemoration is framed by a simple but powerful call to action of “Let the Blind Read”.
He added that for centuries, the braille had enabled blind and visually impaired persons to access knowledge, participate meaningfully in education and live with dignity.
“Learning materials are accessible to a growing number of blind and print-disabled persons “ he added.
The director general noted that this year’s focus on inclusion, bridging of digital divides, as well as advancement of accessibility in education, resonated deeply with the commission’s long-standing under the banner “Let the Blind Read”.
“We reaffirm our belief that the copyright system must serve not only creators and markets, but also learners, students and readers with print disabilities.
“As we have consistently emphasised, access to knowledge is a right, not a privilege. Yet the reality in Nigeria remains deeply troubling.
“Available studies indicate that less than one per cent of published materials in the country are available in accessible formats such as braille, audio, or digital texts, compatible with screen-reading technologies,” he said.
The NCC boss further noted that such acute ‘book famine’ mirrored broader challenges across much of the developing world and exposed the systemic barriers confronting blind and visually impaired persons.
He stressed that the commission was drawing attention to the fact that the cost of inaccessibility was not merely social exclusion, but a long-term harm to education, employment prospects and inclusion of the print disabled in the broader national development agenda.
“It is against this backdrop that the Copyright Act, 2022 assumes particular significance. The Act marks a decisive transition from charity-based access, to a rights-based framework for inclusion.
“Through section 26, Nigeria has domesticated the Marrakech Treaty, expressly permitting the reproduction, distribution and cross-border exchange of works in accessible formats for persons with print disabilities.
“Importantly, the Act also establishes safe-harbour protections for ‘authorised entities’, recognising that access must be enabled lawfully, responsibly and in a manner that builds trust throughout the book value chain.
“In furtherance of this statutory mandate, the commission has issued new guidelines to strengthen the safe-harbour regime,” he added.
According to him, these guidelines provide much-needed clarity, transparency and safeguards for the production and dissemination of accessible-format copies.
He reassured of the confidence of NCC to encourage broader institutional participation, rebuild confidence among rights holders and intermediaries, as well as substantially increase the availability of books in braille and other accessible formats.
“This regulatory effort will be complemented by sustained advocacy, awareness-raising and capacity-building initiatives, targeting publishers, libraries, educational institutions and other concerned stakeholders,” he stated.
World Braille Day ultimately reminded citizens that inclusion was not an act of generosity; it was a legal obligation, a moral imperative and a development necessity on this year’s celebration.
