Court Freezes MCSN Copyright Levy Funds Pending Hearing

On February 5, 2026, Justice Ambrose Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court granted an interim Mareva injunction to freeze the copyright levy funds payable to the Music Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN). The court ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 20 commercial banks to refrain from disbursing or releasing these funds until further hearings.

The plaintiffs, which include several prominent record labels such as Mavin Record Ltd and Davido Music Worldwide Ltd, filed an ex parte application to prevent MCSN from accessing these funds. The court's order prohibits MCSN and its agents from withdrawing, transferring, or dissipating the copyright levy funds, whether already received or not.

The CBN is also directed to disclose the amounts credited to MCSN regarding these levy payments. The matter is adjourned to March 12, 2026, for further consideration of the motion.