‘How FCT Book Fair can improve reading culture’

Bookshelf: Why did you decide to start a book fair in Abuja? Adegboyega Ojuolape: At the time, I author a book called ‘Inspirational Musings’. So, in trying to sell my books and put it in the market, I found out that a lot of people don’t read the way they should. I understood the struggle […]

Bookshelf: Why did you decide to start a book fair in Abuja?

Adegboyega Ojuolape: At the time, I author a book called ‘Inspirational Musings’. So, in trying to sell my books and put it in the market, I found out that a lot of people don’t read the way they should. I understood the struggle of an average author and what one went through trying to take out their message. This was why I decided to bring together authors so we could project our work and get more people involved in reading. 

People assume that a book is just a compilation of thoughts. No. It’s something that goes from one generation to the next because the joy of many authors is to have people read their books and get the message. It’s not about the money.  

Having travelled to places across the world, particularly when I get on trains, I see people reading, but this isn’t the case in Nigeria. The book fair is aimed at improving the culture of reading.

Bookshelf: The book fair takes place on a quarterly basis and began in August 2017. What has the experience been like so far?

Ojuolape: It hasn’t been easy. In preparation for the first book fair, we went on air, made fliers and did road shows and were expecting hundreds of people. But we saw barely thirty people. It was a flop, and we spent N800, 000 publicising it. We later had to go back to the drawing board and found out that we assumed that the general public reads. For the second edition, we went after segments of the public that actually read. We got schools, Associations of Nigerian Authors and several other groups involved. 

Bookshelf: Now private and public schools are involved in the fair and you hold spelling bee and writing contests, quiz on Nigerian history and current affairs. Was this in the original plan? How did it happen?

Ojuolape: Initially we started with a book exhibition because we felt people would like to come to look at different books. A lot of people don’t go to bookstores, so we felt it would be a marketplace for books where people would notice books about history, politics, and fashion and so on. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so. We found out that many Nigerians don’t read but they want their children to read. 

We found ways to draw people out of their shells by coming up with programmes that attract children. In the process, we found out that we were creating value because the spelling bee is a way to develop spelling abilities in Nigerian children, so is the case with writing contests and quiz. 

Bookshelf: With all these going on, do you still make out time to write?

Ojuolape: Yes, I have about four books yet to be released. One is called ‘A History of Excellent Entrepreneurs in Nigeria’. If you want to research about entrepreneurs in Nigeria you can hardly get anything online and would have to dig into libraries for these stories. People have read a lot about Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, or Richard Branson. But they haven’t read about Chief Adeola Ojutolam or Alhaji Sanusi Dantata, who have done more in a tough environment. So I am bringing these stories for the coming generation to learn.

Bookshelf: What is your book, ‘Inspirational Musings’ about?

Ojuolape: It was inspired by the failing moral values in the system. I remember the kind of things I was taught growing up and the kind of parents I grew up under. My father was a judge and my mother was a civil servant who later retired as a permanent secretary. So I grew up reading and being taught a lot of things. I don’t see those values in children these days.

Again, I am an entrepreneur with sixteen years’ experience. I needed to share that experience. ‘Inspirational Musings’ is a journey of values and entrepreneurship at the same time. It has 52 chapters on different topics, including wisdom, sacrifice and national patriotism.