The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered Airtel Nigeria to pay ₦210 million in damages to veteran singer Veno Marioghae Mbanefo over the unauthorised use of her song, Nigeria Go Survive. Justice Ibrahim Kala, who delivered the judgment, held that the telecommunications company infringed on the artist’s copyright by deploying the song without her consent.
The court’s decision followed a suit filed by Mbanefo in September 2022, in which she accused Airtel Network Limited of unlawfully using her musical work to promote its products. The judge found Airtel liable for copyright infringement, describing the ruling as a clear affirmation of the protection of intellectual property rights within Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
Mbanefo had earlier disclosed that she discovered Airtel was using her song through its telemarketing numbers without authorisation and instructed her lawyers to demand redress. She said the company denied the allegation and threatened legal action against her, prompting her to petition the Nigeria Copyright Commission and subsequently institute a civil suit at the Federal High Court. The case was supported by witnesses and technical evidence, culminating in the court’s award in her favour.