Premier Music Publishing has signed an administration agreement with Sony Music Publishing Nigeria covering works by Rex Lawson, Osita Osadebe, Celestine Ukwu and other veteran musicians, creating new opportunities to earn from samples, interpolations and international licensing.
Premier Music Publishing has partnered with Sony Music Publishing Nigeria in a deal that could expand the international commercial reach of some of Nigeria’s most enduring musical works, as publishers seek new ways to generate revenue from older catalogues in a global music industry increasingly driven by sampling, licensing and cross-border collaborations.
The administration agreement, announced on Tuesday, October 13, covers selected vintage works in Premier Music Publishing’s catalogue, including songs associated with Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson, Celestine Ukwu, Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, Victor Olaiya, Victor Uwaifo, Ras Kimono, The Mandators, Bright Chimezie, Buchi and Celestine Obiakor.
For a catalogue spanning several generations of Nigerian music, the partnership presents an opportunity to connect recordings and compositions that helped shape the country’s musical identity with a wider international market. It could also create additional commercial pathways for works whose value extends beyond their original release periods.
The immediate significance of the agreement lies in music publishing administration, which involves managing the rights attached to musical compositions and helping ensure that their use generates the appropriate revenue for rights holders.
Through Sony Music Publishing’s international network and publishing operations, Premier’s selected catalogue could become more accessible to music supervisors, producers, songwriters and other industry professionals seeking African compositions for commercial and creative projects.
Potential opportunities include synchronisation licences for film, television, advertising and video games, as well as the use of existing compositions in new songs through samples and interpolations. These arrangements can introduce older music to younger audiences while creating additional income opportunities for the owners of the underlying rights.
However, the agreement does not necessarily mean that the entire Premier Music Publishing catalogue has changed ownership or that all the works covered will immediately generate new international revenue. The announcement describes an administration arrangement, not an outright sale of the catalogue, and does not disclose its financial terms, duration or the specific works included.
Michael Odiong, group chief executive officer of Premier Records Limited, said the partnership marked an important step towards building a global African music publishing business.
‘Premier has always believed in the long-term value of African intellectual property. Our focus has been to preserve, protect, develop and commercially maximise the value of our repertoire for the benefit of rights holders and future generations,’ Odiong said.
‘This relationship represents another important step towards achieving that vision.’
For Sony Music Publishing Nigeria, the agreement provides an opportunity to develop new commercial uses for compositions associated with some of the country’s established musical figures.
Uzor Daniel, A and R and operations director at Sony Music Publishing Nigeria, said the partnership would focus on expanding opportunities for the catalogue, particularly through samples, interpolations and creative collaborations.
‘We are proud to partner with Premier Music Publishing to build on the legacy of these extraordinary catalogues by unlocking new global opportunities,’ Daniel said.
Why the catalogue matters beyond nostalgia
The commercial potential of classic Nigerian music rests partly on the distinction between a sound recording and the musical composition behind it. These are separate forms of intellectual property, and different parties may own or control the relevant rights.
A composition can continue generating publishing income long after the original recording has stopped receiving significant radio play. If another artist samples a musical passage, interpolates a melody or uses a composition in an audiovisual production, the relevant rights must be identified and the necessary permissions secured.
The catalogue covered by the new agreement includes musicians whose works emerged from different periods and traditions of Nigerian popular music. Rex Lawson and Osadebe, for instance, are associated with highlife, while Celestine Ukwu helped establish a distinctive form of reflective highlife music. Victor Uwaifo’s repertoire is associated with Edo musical influences and popular guitar music, while Bright Chimezie became known for his Zigima sound.
Their works represent more than a collection of old recordings. They contain melodies, rhythms, arrangements and compositions that may appeal to contemporary artists and producers searching for distinctive sounds outside the dominant centres of global popular music through sampling and interpolations.
The central test for the partnership will be whether international administration turns the cultural significance of these recordings and compositions into verifiable licensing activity, royalty collections and new uses of the music.
If it succeeds, the deal could help demonstrate how Nigeria’s musical heritage can function not only as a cultural archive but also as a portfolio of intellectual property with commercial value across generations.