The Adamawa State Office of the Nigerian Copyright Commission has expressed interest in partnering with the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, to strengthen intellectual property awareness and help students and faculty protect and develop their creative and academic works.
The proposal was made during a visit to AUN on August 24, 2026, as the Commission sought to raise awareness of copyright protection and strengthen its relationship with academic institutions.
Speaking during the visit, the Deputy Director of the Nigerian Copyright Commission in Adamawa, Arinze Nnamabia, described the Commission as the “gatekeepers of copyright,” stressing the importance of protecting intellectual property and ensuring that creative and academic works are properly used and acknowledged.
He explained that the Commission is particularly interested in working with AUN to educate faculty members and students on how to legally use and build on the works of others while protecting their own intellectual property.
The Deputy Director added that the Commission organizes training sessions and lectures for students and other stakeholders on copyright protection and the responsible use of creative works.
Beyond copyright education, Nnamabia expressed interest in expanding the Commission’s work with AUN to include entrepreneurship and other programs that could help students turn their creative ideas and works into opportunities.
Such programs could help students understand how intellectual property applies to their academic research, creative works and innovations, while encouraging them to see the potential value of their ideas beyond the classroom.
The delegation also presented some of the Commission’s publications to the university for research and documentation purposes.
Responding, AUN President DeWayne Frazier welcomed the proposed partnership and suggested that an in-person engagement be organized at the university, giving students and faculty members an opportunity to interact directly with the Commission.
The President assured the delegation that the Nigerian Copyright Commission is always welcome in the AUN community, emphasizing the university’s readiness to explore programs that would benefit its students and faculty.
The visit opened discussions on potential collaboration in intellectual property awareness, research, entrepreneurship and student development, with the two institutions looking to identify practical ways to help members of the university community protect and develop their creative and academic work.
Reported by Pwagreno Blessig Morris