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The Role of Copyright Law in the Attainment of Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education in English-Speaking West African Countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

Ifeoluwa Ayokunle Olubiyi Open the ORCID record for Ifeoluwa Ayokunle Olubiyi [Opens in a new window]  and
Allahmagani Khali
Ifeoluwa Ayokunle Olubiyi*
Affiliation:
College of Law, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria and Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Nigeria
Allahmagani Khali
Affiliation:
College of Law, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria and Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Nigeria
*
Corresponding author: Ifeoluwa Ayokunle Olubiyi; Email: olubiyiia@abuad.edu.ng
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Abstract

Education is a prerequisite for the attainment of sustainable development, with multiplier effects on society. This study examines the possibility of achieving inclusive and equitable education under the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, AU Agenda 2063 and ECOWAS Vision 2050. Copyright plays an essential role in either encouraging or barring access to educational materials, which are necessary for the attainment of SDG 4. Through a desk study using the laws and policies of English-speaking West African countries (Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone), the article examines the copyright laws of these jurisdictions in order to determine how they facilitate or stop access to knowledge. It finds that most of the jurisdictions (except Nigeria) have not maximized the flexibilities available for access to knowledge through copyright limitations and exceptions, thereby barring access to educational materials. It recommends a review of national copyright legislations in line with a developmental perspective.

Keywords

access to knowledgecopyrightsustainable developmentAU Agenda 2063ECOWAS Vision 2050educationWest Africa
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of African Law , First View , pp. 1 - 21
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of SOAS, University of London

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Footnotes

*

BL, LLB (OAU, Nigeria), LLM (Maastricht, Netherlands), PhD (Unilorin, Nigeria). Reader and Assistant Professor, Department of Private and Business Law, College of Law, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State, Nigeria. Corresponding author.

**

BLIS (UI, Nigeria), MARM (UI, Nigeria), PhD (Babcock, Nigeria). Senior Librarian, Kaduna State University Library, Nigeria.

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60 Id, sec 9(10).

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83 Id at 21.

84 Ibid.

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95 Id, sec 50(8).

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104 Id at 20.

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