The Federal High Court Lagos has granted an interim Mareva injunction freezing N1.2 billion in copyright levy funds meant for the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN).
The order, issued by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, restrains the Central Bank of Nigeria and at least 20 commercial banks from disbursing or releasing the funds pending further hearing of the matter.
The injunction followed an ex-parte application filed on February 5, 2026, in Suit FHC/L/CS/207/2026 by the Record Label Proprietors’ Initiative on behalf of 11 leading record labels and music companies.
The plaintiffs include Mavin Records Ltd, Davido Music Worldwide Ltd, Premier Music Publishing Limited, Chocolate City Music Limited, Hypertek Digital Limited, Digital Music Commerce & Exchange Limited (DMCE), Beggars Group Media Limited, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment Africa, Warner Music South Africa (Pty) Ltd, and Gamma Media Middle East DMCC.
The second to twelfth plaintiffs are pursuing the case through their lawful attorney, the Record Label Proprietors’ Initiative, seeking to ensure proper management and distribution of copyright levy funds in accordance with Nigerian law.
The court’s order effectively halts the planned disbursement to MCSN, pending further judicial review, marking a significant development in ongoing disputes over copyright royalties and levy allocations in Nigeria’s music industry.
