Abuja, August 1, 2025
In a decisive move against digital piracy, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) have successfully shut down MovieBox.ng, a prominent website notorious for illegally streaming copyrighted movies and entertainment content.
The operation, part of a wider national crackdown on intellectual property theft in Nigeria’s digital space, underscores the government’s determination to protect creative industry investments and enforce digital content regulations.
The NCC, in collaboration with NiRA, confirmed that MovieBox.ng was delisted from Nigeria’s country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) registry following multiple complaints from stakeholders in the entertainment and broadcasting sectors. The complaints cited sustained unauthorized streaming and distribution of copyrighted Nigerian and international content, causing substantial financial losses to producers and rights owners.
Speaking on the development, an official from the NCC said the action demonstrates the Commission’s resolve to support the protection of intellectual property rights in the digital environment and to dismantle criminal operations exploiting online platforms for piracy.
“This is a clear warning to digital pirates and illegal content distributors that Nigeria will no longer tolerate the exploitation of its creative economy through digital theft,” the NCC official stated.
NiRA, which manages Nigeria’s .ng domain space, emphasized that the suspension aligns with its policy of upholding the integrity of internet usage in Nigeria. According to NiRA, any domain found culpable of promoting illegality, especially in ways that undermine national development or violate copyright laws, risks swift sanctions, including delisting.
The shutdown of MovieBox.ng marks a notable milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to sanitize its digital landscape, especially at a time when the creative industry is growing and contributing significantly to national GDP. It also reflects the increasing coordination among regulatory agencies, law enforcement, and rights holders in combating online piracy.
Industry observers hailed the move as a bold step towards ensuring artists, filmmakers, and content creators receive fair compensation for their work, while also sending a strong deterrent message to other platforms engaged in similar unlawful activities.
