The legal showdown between telecom giant Airtel Nigeria and music rights claimant Veno Marioghae Mbanefo has escalated, with both parties now locked in a high-stakes appeal at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.
Counsel to Mbanefo, Rockson Igelige, confirmed that Airtel is challenging the N210 million penalty imposed by the Federal High Court, while his client has fired back with a cross-appeal seeking a significantly higher award.
At the heart of the dispute is the alleged unauthorised use of the song “Nigeria Go Survive.” Mbanefo is asking the appellate court to reinstate an expunged valuation report pegging damages at N375 million, alongside fresh claims of N100 million for aggravated infringement and N50 million for statutory breaches.
The cross-appeal argues that the trial court erred by discarding expert valuation evidence, failing to award statutory and aggravated damages, and wrongly ruling on issues of copyright originality.
In a further twist, Mbanefo’s legal team is pushing for Airtel to deposit the contested sum into an interest-yielding account pending the appeal’s outcome.
Right now, both sides are digging in. Airtel is aiming to cut its losses, and Mbanefo is pressing for a bigger payout, as the case shapes up into a defining legal battle over intellectual property rights in Nigeria’s entertainment space.