The United We Stand campaign is an effort to raise awareness about the rampant issue of counterfeiting, intellectual property theft and piracy in Nigeria.
Spread across many industries, it brings together all who continue to deal with these issues that not only affects their revenue, but also the purity and integrity of their hard work in creating their products.
Date: Friday, February 24th, 2017.
Time: 11.00 am.
Venue: Filmhouse Cinemas, off Bisola Durosinmi Etti Drive, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Alongside renowned beauty entrepreneurs Tara Fela-Durotoye of House of Tara International and Oke Maduewesi of Zaron Cosmetics, members of the campaign collective include Funke Akindele-Bello, representing the entertainment industry and their struggle against intellectual property theft and illegal re-distribution; Temitayo Eyitayo of 24 Apparel standing in the gap for the producers of branded clothing and consumer goods fighting counterfeiting; Uzo Uzeoke sharing Emzor Pharmaceuticals’ battle against counterfeit medication and other products in the healthcare and wellness sector; and media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo speaking on the widespread issue as it persists and affects us all across all sectors and social classes, both as creators and consumers.
The Hon. Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar will deliver the keynote address to social influencers, entrepreneurs, small business owners and corporate body representatives, who have been invited to a stakeholder meeting towards finding a solution to these problems.
A moving documentary starring members of the campaign collective was directed by Kemi Adetiba and will also be screened at the meeting. In it, they recollect the journey from building their business to discovering their work is being illegally copied.
The campaign is a stand against injustice, imploring the Nigerian public to take the extra steps to preserve hard work and to ensure consumer safety. It is also a call for government and regulators to provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, and to encourage a change in consumer behaviour.