* 4-day fair holds Wed. May 10 to Sat. May 13 at Yard 158 Event Arena, Oregun, Lagos
*‘Promoting a reading culture the book fair’s core mandate’
Photo: Dr. Taofeek Olatunnosun of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA); Temitayo Olaoye of Afkar Printing and Publishing Ltd; President of National Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), Mr. Richard Mammah; Vice Chair of Nigeria’s Publishers’ Association (NPA), Mrs. Yomi Ogunlari; pioneer Chairman of Nigeria Book Fair Trust (NBFT), Mr. Dayo Alabi; incumbent Chairman of NBFT, Mr. Oluwadare Oluwatuyi; President of Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON), Mr. Olugbemi Malomo and NBFT Executive Secretary, Mr. Abiodun Omotubi.
By Godwin Okondo
WITH ‘Fresh Ideas for Overhauling Nigeria’s Tertiary Education Complex’ as theme, Nigeria Book Fair Trust (NIBT), organiser of the yearly Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF), has sent a notice to all stakeholders in the book and educational value chain that it must never be business as usual when it comes to how education is managed in the country. With university teachers going on industrial action for eight long months last year alone, it is clear that everyone should be worried, such that a repeat of that prolonged strike action must never be an option.
While the book fair has held for uninterrupted 21 years and catered for the lower levels of education, Nigeria Book Fair Trust believes it is time to take on the monster that has bedevilled tertiary education in the country with a view to resolving the seemingly intractable problems in that sector for the country’s development. The summit is an innovative addition to the programming of the yearly book fair in its quest to find holistic and enduring solutions to Nigeria’s book and educational challenges.
This was part of the thrust of Mr. Michael Oluwadare Oluwatuyi, NIBF Chairman’s address when he explained to journalists plans for the NIBF 2023 in Ikeja, Lagos. Venue for this year’s book fair is Yard 158 Event Arena, Plot 34, Kudirat Abiola Way, Opposite The Citadel, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. The 4-day book fair will take place from Wednesday, May 10 to Saturday May 13, 2023.
According to Oluwatuyi, “We all know the negative impact of the incessant industrial imbroglio between the government and tertiary institutions’ staff on the present and future of Nigerian students. The search for a lasting solution to this perennial problem and other challenges of tertiary education in Nigeria brought the inclusion of the Tertiary Education Summit to the list of programmes for the annual Nigeria International Book Fair.”
Dr. Taofeek Olatunnosun of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA); Temitayo Olaoye of Afkar Printing and Publishing Ltd; President of National Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), Mr. Richard Mammah; Vice Chair of Nigeria’s Publishers’ Association (NPA), Mrs. Yomi Ogunlari; pioneer Chairman of Nigeria Book Fair Trust (NBFT), Mr. Dayo Alabi; incumbent Chairman of NBFT, Mr. Oluwadare Oluwatuyi; President of Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON), Mr. Olugbemi Malomo and NBFT Executive Secretary, Mr. Abiodun Omotubi.
Experts from across the tiers of tertiary education in Nigeria have been invited to discuss this year’s chosen theme for the Summit, which has as lead speaker the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Benin City, and Chair, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigeria (CVC), Professor Lilian Salami. Other speakers expected at the summit are the Rector of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igbo-Ora, Professor Akinola Akinlabi, former Commissioner for Higher Education, Delta State, Professor Hope Eghagha, and Head of Department of English, Lagos State University, Dr. Pius Akhimien, amongst others. The Founder and Chairman of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola, will be special guest of honour while the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folashade Tolulope Ogunsola, will serve as chief host.
Oluwatuyi, who is also the National President of Booksellers Association of Nigeria (BAN), Chairman, Revival Task Force of Pan African Booksellers Association (PABA), Management Committee member of UN SDG Book Club African Chapter, and Managing Director of the 154-year old CSS Bookshops Limited, explained other aspects that make this year’s book fair unique, including the change of venue, first from the University of Lagos to Habour Point three years ago and now atYard 158 Event Arena in mainland Lagos. For registration and online participation at the fair on Youtube, visit www.nigeriabookfair.org.
“I am sure that many of you will be wondering why we have moved the book fair venue again from Lagos Island to Lagos Mainland,” he said. “The simple reason is that Nigerian Book Fair Trust is an organization that listens to, and considers the opinions and advice of those who participate at its events. There were complaints about the high participation cost when the book fair was moved to Lagos Island. A request was made for an increase in the number of days for the book fair from three to at least four days. These and some other reasons prompted us to move the venue of the book fair back to Lagos Mainland.”
Apart from the educational summit that is making its maiden edition this year, the regular international conference and opening ceremony of the 22nd Nigeria International Book Fair will kick-start the book fair on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, which has as theme ‘The Role of a Functional National Book Policy in the African Book Ecosystem.’ Guest speaker is the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, Professor Ismail Junaidu. Other speakers are the Director General of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein, former Dean of Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, Professor Olasupo Jegede, and President of PEN Nigeria, Mr. Folu Agoi.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Benin City and Chairperson of Vice Chancellors of Universities, Prof. Lilian Salami will deliver the Tertiary Education Summit.
To chair the conference is the Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, while the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, will serve as special guest of honour. Other personalities expected are the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, who will serve as chief host, and the National Librarian/CEO of National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Professor Chinwe Veronica Anunobi and the Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo.
Among other things, Oluwatuyi restated the benefits of the book fair and why it should be a must event for the reading public. According to him, the benefits to be derived from the Nigeria International Book Fair 2023 are enormous, as it will avail people with distance barriers the opportunity to connect remotely in real-time with the book fair activities anywhere in the world. The international conference of the book fair will create an opportunity for attendees to meet with the book industry leaders, break new markets, network, and learn about the innovations and strategies to promote their products and services. Huge discounts on books and other learning and teaching materials, facilitating sales opportunities, generating placement of orders, and negotiating contracts.
Other benefits include enabling all participants see the array of new and recent publications on a global scale while promoting inclusivity and setting a new agenda for the book industry in line with the recent copyright laws, provide a platform and opportunity to network and legwork with foreign investors in the book business, and very importantly too, “one of the core mandates of NBFT/NIBF is promoting the reading culture. It is one reason why we have held the fair 21 times before now and a major motivation for staging it again this year. Our people must read, and read, more and more,” Oluwatuyi said.
Regular book fair features like schools’ competition and children’s activities will also spice up the fair. Four days have been set aside for various fun-filled activities for schools and children at the Nigeria International Book Fair 2023 such as spelling bee, vocabulary competition, creative writing, Chess game, Mathematics competition, talk show and parents and children’s funfair are some of the activities on offer.
Constituent bodies of the Nigerian Book Fair Trust will organize expository workshops and various programmes during the book fair, with Oluwatuyi urging publishers, booksellers, authors, librarians, printers and all other stakeholders to attend the various seminars and workshops that the constituent bodies of the Trust will organise during the book fair. Programme line up by constituent bodies include a panel discussion by UN SDG Book Club African Chapter, readers parley by the Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG) workshop on ‘Collective Management Rights on Text and Image-Based Works,’ Nigerian Copyright Commission unveiling the new Copyright Act, and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) also holding its programmes.
Oluwatuyi took the opportunity to express the book fair trust’s appreciation to its supporters, who make the book fair possible each year. They include Quarterfold Printabilities of India, Universal Basic Education Commission, Nigeria, Accessible Publishers Limited, Nigeria, Best in Print Consult, Nigeria, CSS Bookshops Limited, Nigeria, Showers Publishers Limited, Nigeria, Afkar Printing and Publishing Limited and National Library of Nigeria. Others are Evans Publishing Group, Laterna Ventures Limited, Metropolitan Publishers Limited, Nigeria, Fair Management and Award Committee, FMAC and constituent bodies of the Trust which include Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Booksellers Association of Nigeria (BAN), Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Nigerian Library Association (NLA) and Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON).
Also at the briefing were Dr. Taofeek Olatunnosun of Association of Nigerian Authors, Temitayo Olaoye of Afkar Printing and Publishing Ltd, President of National Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), Mr. Richard Mammah, vice chair of Nigeria’s Publishers’ Association (NPA), Mrs. Yomi Ogunlari, pioneer Chairman of Nigeria Book Fair Trust (NBFT), Mr. Dayo Alabi, incumbent Chairman of NBFT, Mr. Oluwadare Oluwatuyi, President of Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON), Mr. Olugbemi Malomo and NBFT Executive Secretary, Mr. Abiodun Omotubi.
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