Ghana to Sanction TV Stations Airing Nigerian Movies Without Authorisation | African Examiner
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Ghana to Sanction TV Stations Airing Nigerian Movies Without Authorisation
AFRICAN EXAMINER) –The Ghanaian government has announced plans to crack down on television stations that broadcast Nigerian movies without proper authorisation.
James Gardiner, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Film Authority (NFA), disclosed the move during a video conversation with Nigerian film producer Uchenna Mbunabo.
Mbunabo accused some Ghanaian television stations of downloading Nollywood movies from YouTube and broadcasting them without obtaining permission from the filmmakers.
“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations are stealing our films by downloading them from YouTube and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legal in your country for TV stations to do that?” Mbunabo asked.
Responding, Gardiner said, “It’s not legalised.”
When Mbunabo asked what the Ghanaian government was doing to address the issue, Gardiner explained that authorities were already working on stronger regulations.
“That is one of the major issues we are trying to address. We’ve met with the Ministry of Communication, the National Media Commission (NMC), and the National Communications Authority (NCA), which regulate television stations in the country. We are working on measures that could revoke the licences of offending stations, after which they will have to apply for fresh licences,” he said.
Asked when the new measures could take effect, Gardiner replied that they are expected to be implemented by 2027.
The development comes after several Nigerian filmmakers, including Bimbo Ademoye, Omoni Oboli, Mercy Johnson, and Ruth Kadiri, publicly accused some Ghanaian television stations of illegally broadcasting their movies without obtaining the required licences or paying royalties.
The planned crackdown is expected to strengthen copyright enforcement and improve the protection of intellectual property rights within Ghana’s broadcasting industry while addressing long-standing concerns raised by Nollywood producers.
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