We should overcome challenges in the African book industry - Kolawola

Accra, Nov. 5, GNA - Mr. Samuel Kolawola, President of Nigerian Publishers Association, on Thursday said book development in Africa was faced with many challenges which must be addressed to make the continent's literacy drive wholesome.

These included creativity, finance and manufacturing, distribution and sales, skill development and training, organisation and research, legal issues and quality control. Mr. Kolawola was speaking at the on-going Eighth International Book Fair in Accra which is under the theme: "Books as Cultural Tools for Development". The fair which has Nigeria as the country of focus, is being attended by about 104 participants from Ghana, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, India and Germany.

Mr. Kolawola addressing the Nigerian Day on the topic: "The Book Industry In Africa-Need For Interplay" urged African publishers to collaborate to remain in business. He said an international trade centre report indicated that during the first half of the 1990's, intra-African trade grew at an average of over 10 per cent per annum, and twice the growth of trade between Africa and the rest of the world.

However, Mr. Kolawola said it was not certain whether publishers on the continent had benefited from this continental trade opportunity. He said African publishers should know that they were responsible for making their own fortunes, adding "we must unite and forge a common front. With a united, strong and organised effective body, we could approach our various governments for adequate protection and recognition". Mr. Kolawola urged African publishers to rise up to the challenges from various governments' education policies which affected their operations negatively. He said these challenges could be tackled through regular conferences, seminars and workshops and the recommendations submitted to the African Union and their respective governments. Mr. Kolawola said African publishers should form a unified force against book pirates and inform their governments to tighten security at the borders, air, land and sea to intercept not only books pirated from their countries but from other countries.

He noted that the poor reading culture by Africans could be tackled by African publishers when they unite and tackle the issue head on. Mr. Kolawola said this could begin with exchange programmes where the academic competence of Africans could be tested through debates, essay competitions or research on any particular African need. Mr. Kojo Amoako Attah, Salesman at Readwide Books, said the fair had created opportunities for people to search for books of various kinds to suit their peculiar needs. He said both children and adults could find books for their own intellectual development and urged people to participate in the fair to acquaint themselves with publishers, writers and books.