Rising from a meeting called to deliberate on the President Goodluck Jonathan’s book campaign recently launched for the promotion of the reading culture, writers, librarians, educational institutions and literary advocacy groups alike have charged the federal government to set up an endowment fund for book development in the country.
The call is contained in a 13-point communiqué issued at the end of the meeting by stakeholders in the book industry comprising publishers, librarians, booksellers, the academia, parents, NGOs, writers and schools, which held Monday, at the Banquet Hall, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The book industry conference which was convened under the aegis of the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), had as its sub theme; ‘When the President wants to bring back the book – what’s to be done?’ and was intended as follow-up to the President Jonathan’s Bring Back the Book initiative which was launched Monday, December 20, last year at the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.
The conference which acknowledged that books and reading contributed to professional and academic success: self-discovery; cultural awareness; self-expression; engaged citizenship and collective good, also resolved that the development of the publishing sector and revival of the reading culture must be a priority objective of the cultural, economic and educational policy of this country.
The conference considered papers on the following topics: – The business of the book; The creative aspects of the book; Educational aspects of the book; and the promotional aspects of the book.
Part of the recommendations reached at the one-day confab included that; The nation deserves a functional National Library, while all 36 states and 774 local government councils should be mandated to establish and maintain functional urban, rural and mobile libraries.
It was also recommended that banks and other financial institutions in the country should be encouraged and supported by government to see the book industry as a challenged sector for special attention; that preferential or reduced postal rates should apply to books and periodicals for cheap and efficient distribution;
“ Government should support book fairs, literary festivals and reading campaigns around Nigerian books within and without the country’s borders; Legislative backing and funding should be provided to associations and non-governmental organizations at local and national levels in the promotion of reading initiatives.
“Government should patronize Nigerian and African authored books and should make use of the book chain for this purpose to enhance local capacity; Books published in indigenous languages should be actively encouraged and supported.
It was demanded that government should provide adequate resources to the relevant agencies responsible for the eradication of illiteracy; as well as that the Nigerian Copyright Commission should be well funded, staffed and equipped to effectively tackle copyright infringements.
“ Paper, machinery and equipment for printing and publishing of books should be exempted from customs tax and duties in order to make books more affordable; and Government should set up a Book Advisory and Readership Committee (BARC) under the Presidency which will evolve ultimately into a Commission. The body will coordinate all efforts aimed at bringing back the book,” the experts recommended.
Chaired by publisher Kolade Mosuro, the conference was attended by stakeholders from the private and government sectors including: former minister of state for education and author, Dr. Jerry Agada; Mr. Olakunle Sogbein, publisher; Alh. Nassarawa S. Abdullahi, Librarian/Government; Ms. Bibi Bakare-Weate, publisher.
Others are: Mr. Anote Ajeluorou, Journalist, Dr. Abba A. Haladu, Government representative; Mrs. Bimbola Dada, Librarian; Mr. Ben Tomoloju, Author/Journalist; Mr. Lanre Adesuyi, Bookseller; Mr. Toyin Akinosho of CORA; and Ms. Jumoke Verissimo (Secretary) Author.
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