Publishers seek revival of Nigeria book council

Publishers, authors, librarians and education stakeholders have urged the federal government to revive the National Book Council, which was launched during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. They expressed concern that Nigeria’s book industry is gradually losing direction without a strong national institution to coordinate it, saying the revival is to bring together all […]

Publishers, authors, librarians and education stakeholders have urged the federal government to revive the National Book Council, which was launched during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

They expressed concern that Nigeria’s book industry is gradually losing direction without a strong national institution to coordinate it, saying the revival is to bring together all players in Nigeria’s book ecosystem under a coordinated regulatory structure.

The stakeholders spoke at a roundtable discussion organised by the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) on the sidelines of the International Book Fair at the National Theatre in Lagos on Thursday.

For many participants, the issue went beyond business. It was about the future of reading, education and knowledge development in a country battling a learning crisis and an estimated 18 million out-of-school children.

The roundtable, themed “The Future of Publishing in Nigeria: Survival, Scale and Sustainability,” featured discussions around declining reading culture, weak library systems, piracy and the growing struggle of local publishers to survive rising production costs and rapid technological changes.

Participants recalled that the National Book Council was designed to bring publishers, writers, printers, booksellers, librarians and relevant government agencies together under one umbrella to coordinate policies and promote book development in Nigeria.

They noted, however, that the initiative gradually faded away before fully taking root.

The President of the Nigerian Publishers Association, Alhaji Lukman Dauda, said the book industry is too important to be left without coordination because books remain central to national educational development.

Dauda urged the government to always carry publishers along in decisions relating to educational materials and policies affecting the industry.

Contrary to assumptions that young people now prefer screens to paper, a young female participant said she still preferred reading hard-copy books because they offered a more personal and lasting reading experience.

Among dignitaries present at the event were renowned scholar and writer Olu Obafemi; the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Dr. John O. Asein; the National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria, Professor Chinwe Veronica Anunobi; and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, Professor Salisu Shehu.