An Evaluation of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria’s Role in Artist Welfare

This study evaluates the role of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria in promoting and protecting the welfare of professional musicians across Nigeria's geopolitical zones. As the principal regulatory and advocacy body for live music performers and their employers in Nigeria, PMAN is mandated to ensure fair remuneration, professional standards, and welfare provisions for its members. However, concerns persist regarding the organisation's effective reach, membership benefits delivery, and responsiveness to the needs of musicians outside the major southern cities. This research employs an institutional evaluation design, gathering data through structured interviews with 25 PMAN officials at national and state chapter levels, 30 registered and non-registered professional musicians from Lagos, Kano, Enugu, and Maiduguri, and music industry stakeholders. Document analysis of PMAN's constitution, membership records, welfare programme reports, and financial accountability documents from 2021 to 2024 supplements qualitative data. The study draws on professional association management theory, labour welfare literature, and recent studies on creative sector worker rights in Africa. Findings will identify institutional strengths, governance challenges, and welfare delivery gaps within PMAN. Recommendations address organisational reform, geographic outreach, and the design of scalable musician welfare programmes. Keywords: PMAN, musician welfare, professional association, music industry, Nigeria.