The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has restated its commitment to a fair, balanced, and humane copyright system in which authors are protected and their rights are respected.

John Asein, the NCC’s director-general, gave the assurance in a statement by the commission’s spokesperson, Ijeoma Egbunike, in commemoration of the 2026 World Braille Day, on Sunday in Abuja.

World Braille Day is a day dedicated to celebrating Braille as one of humanity’s most transformative innovations for literacy, independence, and dignity.

According to Mr Asein, NCC’s commemoration is framed by a simple yet powerful call to action: “Let the Blind Read.”

He added that for centuries, Braille had enabled blind and visually impaired persons to access knowledge, participate meaningfully in education, and live with dignity.

“Learning materials are accessible to a growing number of blind and print-disabled persons,“ he added.

The director-general noted that this year’s focus on inclusion, bridging digital divides, and advancing accessibility in education resonated deeply with the commission’s long-standing work under the banner “Let the Blind Read.”

“We reaffirm our belief that the copyright system must serve not only creators and markets, but also learners, students, and readers with print disabilities.

“As we have consistently emphasised, access to knowledge is a right, not a privilege. Yet the reality in Nigeria remains deeply troubling.

“Available studies indicate that less than one per cent of published materials in the country are available in accessible formats such as Braille, audio, or digital texts, compatible with screen-reading technologies,” he said.

The NCC boss further noted that such acute “book famine” mirrored broader challenges across much of the developing world and exposed the systemic barriers confronting blind and visually impaired persons.

He stressed that the commission was drawing attention to the fact that the cost of inaccessibility was not merely social exclusion but a long-term harm to education, employment prospects, and the inclusion of the print-disabled in the broader national development agenda.

“It is against this backdrop that the Copyright Act, 2022, assumes particular significance. The act marks a decisive transition from charity-based access to a rights-based framework for inclusion.

“Through section 26, Nigeria has domesticated the Marrakech Treaty, expressly permitting the reproduction, distribution and cross-border exchange of works in accessible formats for persons with print disabilities.

“Importantly, the act also establishes safe-harbour protections for ‘authorised entities,’ recognising that access must be enabled lawfully, responsibly, and in a manner that builds trust throughout the book value chain.

“In furtherance of this statutory mandate, the commission has issued new guidelines to strengthen the safe-harbour regime,” he added.

According to him, these guidelines provide much-needed clarity, transparency, and safeguards for the production and dissemination of accessible-format copies.

He reassured of the NCC’s confidence in encouraging broader institutional participation, rebuilding confidence among rights holders and intermediaries, and substantially increasing the availability of books in Braille and other accessible formats.

(NAN)