The Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) is pleased to announce the distribution of copyright royalties to its esteemed members for the year 2023. AVRS has maintained a consistent record of distributing royalties to its members over the past three years. As the sole collective management organization for audiovisual works in Nigeria, AVRS is dedicated to protecting the rights of its members, including producers, directors, screenwriters, and performers (actors), ensuring they receive equitable compensation for their creative contributions and investments.

AVRS remains steadfast in its commitment to providing comprehensive copyright licensing solutions to users of audiovisual works nationwide. Through diligent management and strategic partnerships, AVRS fulfils its obligations and cultivates a flourishing ecosystem for the audiovisual industry in Nigeria.

In light of this recent distribution, AVRS urges all its members across the country to update their works and account details with the organization. This crucial step ensures seamless and accurate royalty distribution, enabling members to fully benefit from their works. Members are encouraged to promptly update their information to facilitate efficient payment processing.

Furthermore, AVRS calls upon all users of audiovisual works across the country who have not yet complied with copyright licensing requirements to do so without delay. The unauthorized use of works in AVRS’s repertoire constitutes copyright infringement. According to the Nigerian Copyright Act, individuals or entities who, without the owner’s consent, communicate or make works available to the public for commercial purposes are liable to fines or imprisonment.

AVRS emphasizes the importance of strict adherence to the Nigerian Copyright Act and obtaining necessary licenses to avoid legal consequences.

“AVRS remains dedicated to advocating for the rights of our members and nurturing a thriving audiovisual industry in Nigeria,” said Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Chairman of AVRS. “We are proud to distribute copyright royalties for 2023 to our members for the fourth consecutive year and urge them to update their works and account details with us. Additionally, we remind all users of audiovisual works to obtain proper licenses to ensure compliance with the Nigerian Copyright Act.”

For more information about AVRS and its initiatives, please visit www.avrsnigeria.com.

Actor Junior Pope Odonwodo has died.

According to reports, four actors including Junior Pope fell into Anam River in Anambra State, on their way to a movie location and their bodies have been recovered.

The actor had earlier shared a video of himself and others on a boat, on their way to the movie location.

Captioning the video, he wrote: “See me lamenting….The risk we take to entertain you; crossing river 9ja yesterday with no life jacket…. Na wahooooo Who does that ??”

Some of his colleagues reacted in the comment section of the video shortly after his death was announced.

“Jesus! Oh Lord! Oh Lord,” Tana Adelana wrote.

“I’m so sad. can’t believe this. Big Sam where are you? am shaking,” Yvonne Jegede wrote.

The 39-year-old was married to Jennifer Awele.

They have three children together.

I don’t say much here anymore for a lot of reasons but I’ll say this, this was all preventable deaths if the minimum standards of safety was followed. If we in this business take ourselves a bit more seriously and practice this profession with all the seriousness it deserves. Nobody should go into a boat without a life jacket. Period. No producer should send people into one nor should anybody cast/crew enter anyone. How many deaths are enough?…… Richerd Mofe Damijo….

What a tragedy ! What a shame ! How could these young men take this kind of risk. No life jackets and you can’t swim. Ahhh. This is so,so sad.

May God receive their souls. Amen🙏….. Zik Zulu Okafor

Popular Nigerian comedian, Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, and his wife, Mabel, have separated after 20 years of “friendship/marriage”.

The comedian confirmed the development in a post on his Instagram page on Sunday.

He said he had reached a stage where he could no longer entertain the public with “deep personal family issues.”

He wrote, “Many people believe that staying silent simply means that one is incapable of dealing with issues. Projecting a negative narrative against someone who is not struggling to defend himself doesn’t mean he is weak. Some of us are just logical enough to understand the difference between opinions, values, beliefs, and facts.

“The personality and ability that I possess simply confirm that I have reached that stage in my life where I can not be entertaining the public with deep personal family issues. They just might be too much to handle concerning the individuals involved. Not even when I have a grown-up daughter who has access to social media. Her mental health needs to be protected from seeing things she can not be proud of online.

“Yes! Without compromising my family, I have found myself doing some things that I am not proud of today. It is one thing to watch my friendship/marriage of 20 years slip off my hands, but it’s another thing for the parties involved to understand how to appropriate the blame in a space that is designed for most women to always play the victims and win. I can tell you for free that no one is completely innocent enough to cast stones.

“Presently, I am loving the way that lies about me in all these blogs are travelling faster than the truth. But my painful truth will eventually beat away all the lies.”

Also, in a post on her Instagram page on Sunday, Mabel said she had stopped reacting to disrespect.

She wrote, “Distance is my new response to disrespect. I don’t react, I don’t argue. I don’t dive into the drama. I just remove myself.”

Ayo and Mabel got married in November 2008, and they are blessed with two children.