PMAN signs music distribution deal with NIPOST

The recently announced
Performing Musicians ’
Employers’ Association of
Nigeria-NIGERIA Music
Distribution Network (PMAN-
NMDN) finally took off on a
strong note following the
signing of the Joint Venture
Agreement (JVA) between PMAN
and NIPOST.
The JVA, which was signed at
the Protea Hotel, GRA – Ikeja,
Lagos on Tuesday, March 9, 2010
is to allow a collaboration that
will ensure that all musical
works (CDs, DVDs, Cassettes etc)
released in Nigeria or imported
pass through a controlled
distribution system that will
permit accountability,
transparency, and efficiency.
The JVA signing is the most
efficient commercial solution to
illegal operations in products of
entertainment industry, by the
most informed and educated
opinion on the subject.
While the President, Admiral Dele
Abiodun signed on behalf of
PMAN, Alhaji Ibrahim Mori Baba
Danmasin Fakai), the Post Master
General signed on behalf of
NIPOST.
The obviously elated President
of PMAN, Admiral Abiodun said
the kick off of the MDN is a sign
that the entertainment industry
in general will be better off in a
short while.
“The MDN is a scientific model of
music distribution; it will help in
sanitizing the distribution of
music in Nigeria. In fact, I ’m
extremely happy about this
because this is one of those
things we promised Nigerian
musicians when we were
coming on board. Nigerian
musicians can now concentrate
on their works and forget about
how it is distributed.
Similarly, the Post Master
General, Alhaji Ibrahim who
described the signing of the JVA
as historic, noted that NIPOST is
ready to contribute its own part
of the bargain.
By this agreement, the services
and facilities of the NIPOST in
terms of warehousing,
transportation and ICT tracking
systems, which allow letters and
parcels to reach the farthest
reaches of the country on 24 to
48 hour basis, are being
conscripted to ensure that music
and other commercial works on
CD, VCD and DVD reach the
market all over the country
simultaneously from the date of
release, leaving no vacuum for
illegal dealers to fill, which is the
principal opening that allows
pirates to operate.
Therefore, with the signing of
the deal, NIPOST will henceforth
provide spaces at designated
post offices premises for the
distribution of musical and
ancillary works, inform of large
consignment of commercial CDs,
VCDs and DVDs and brought to it
from any other sources, act as
registration agent for
stakeholders and works in its
possession within the period
agreed for the recipient to pick
them up.