The Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a ₦5 billion copyright lawsuit brought against Nigerian gospel artiste Osinachi Joseph Egbu, professionally known as Sinach, reaffirming her sole authorship and ownership over her globally acclaimed single “Way Maker.”
In a judgment delivered by Hon. Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/402/2024, the court rejected all claims by sound engineer Michael Oluwole, who had sought declarations of co-authorship, co-ownership, an equitable split of global licensing royalties, and substantial monetary damages.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa was scathing in his assessment of the action, describing the plaintiff’s case as gold-digging and entirely unmeritorious before dismissing the suit in its entirety.
The legal dispute centered on technical work performed during the recording of the hit track in 2015. Oluwole contended that his mixing and mastering contributions elevated him to the status of a co-author and co-owner of the musical work.
However, evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Sinach had already composed, arranged, and publicly performed “Way Maker”—including live renditions in South Africa—well before engaging Oluwole’s studio services.
The court established that the plaintiff was contracted under an oral agreement strictly to provide technical audio engineering services for the commercial album release and was fully compensated for those services.
In delivering the verdict, Justice Lewis-Allagoa clarified fundamental principles of copyright protection within the music industry.
The court emphasised that under copyright law, authorship vests exclusively in the natural person who creates the original expressive content, such as the melody, harmony, lyrics, or core arrangement.
A producer, engineer, or session contributor does not attain author status simply by supplying technical or instrumental support unless they independently create original expressive material.
Under cross-examination, Oluwole’s own admissions confirmed that Sinach brought a fully developed, pre-existing composition to the studio, which he merely engineered for a fee.
The decision establishes an important precedent for Nigeria’s rapidly expanding entertainment sector, clarifying that post-production technical assistance does not grant property rights over underlying musical works.
Defence counsel Emeka Etiaba, SAN, led the legal team representing Sinach, alongside Omolola Aderolu and O.G. Ofomata, while Matthew Enilobo appeared for the plaintiff.
Following the verdict, Joseph Egbu, Chairman of Slic Inspire Ltd and Gosgem Records, joined Sinach in expressing gratitude to their legal team for securing a decisive outcome that preserves the singer’s absolute ownership of one of the most successful gospel releases of the modern era.