It is generally believed that the development of a nation hinges on the quality of its education. A nation tends to succeed if the education is of high quality; and it fails if the quality is low. Hence, every nation ensures that education is given a pivotal focus in its national policy, so as to achieve the development it desires. This was the focus of the workshop Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) held at the 22nd Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF) 2023, orgainsed by Nigeria Book Fair Trust (NBFT) in Lagos. The workshop had as theme ‘National Book Policy: Its Implementation and the Role of Stakeholders’.
The event had stakeholders in the book industry such as Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Booksellers Association of Nigeria (BAN), Network of Book Clubs and Reading Promoters in Nigeria (NBRF), and Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG) in attendance. Also present were NPA Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Abimbola, REPRONIG Chairman, Mr. Gbadega Adedapo, NPA deputy president, Mr. Dauda Lookman, Olugbemi Malomo, NERDC Director, Dr. Nnana Elere, among others.
The NPA president, Chief Uchenna Anioke, explained the importance of books to the development of education across all levels, while noting that provision of quality educational materials help in improving the quality of education in society.
According to him, “The theme for this workshop has been carefully chosen in line with the general theme of the book fair. Truth be told, the educational development of any nation depends on the functionality of its National Book Policy. A book policy could be described as a national guideline on the provision and effective management of books and other relevant resources geared towards the implementation of education at all levels in Nigeria. It is therefore a statement of intents and purposes, as well as prescriptions, requirements and a benchmark for education through the provision of adequate and relevant books and other educational resources.”
Uchenna, who is also an accomplished author, stated that although the announcement of a Draft National Book Policy by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, at the opening day of the book fair was commendable, he said there was need to ensure that the draft Bill is signed into law, a need that necessitated the workshop, noting that NPA would work with other stakeholders in the book industry to see to the fruition of their dream when the Bill is signed into law.
“Just two days ago, the Executive Secretary of NERDC, Professor Ismail Junaidu, who represented the Honourable Minister of Education, informed the august audience that the National Book Policy was ready, awaiting legislative approval,” Uchenna told his audience. “As cheerful and cheering as the news appears, there is still a long walk to freedom. It is because of this that we have chosen to have a conversation about the vexed issue of National Book Policy.
“NPA, working in concert with other stakeholders in the book ecosystem, will mount an intensive lobby on the 10th National Assembly for an early and speedy legislative work on the National Book Policy. We hope to vigorously mobilize the reading and writing community for a sustained national campaign in favour of early legislative action and subsequent assent by Mr. President.”
In his keynote address, the President of Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), Richard Mammah, stated that books should not be seen as mere academic materials, but more of a cultural product, in order to ensure that they are enshrined as a norm and tradition in the nation, a practice that would encourage reading culture in Nigeria and general development of the educational system. He stressed early literacy training of children and urged mothers to read to their babies even while still in the womb.
“A book is a cultural product,” Mammah declared. “It is a cultural item of a society. This is even more of an importance than it being an educational material. The culture dynamics in a book policy has to be strengthened. We need to make it to be part of our life. Right from the time a baby is in the womb, the mother should read to him or her, so that as he grows, he grows into it, sees it as a way of life and appreciates reading the way it should be. Therefore, there should be more vigorous infuse of pre-infant, infant and early years literacy development in order to ensure accurate literacy development before age eight.”
Giving recommendations on what stakeholders should do in order to ensure prompt approval and implementation of the book policy, Mammah, who is an author and book publisher, stated that stakeholders should mount a three-year lobbying campaign for the approval of the National Book Policy draft, ensure proper funding for effective lobbying, put an end to internal crises and make known the industry’s positive contributions to national and societal development in order to attract the interest of legislators. He said he was gratified that a book club member is among the Senators-elect and would come in useful during lobbying for speedy legislative action on the book Bill.
“The stakeholders should own the process by setting timelines,” Mammah urged his colleagues in the book ecosystem. “We should commit a three-year programme to advocacy in order to ensure that everything about approval, implementation and regulation of the National Book Policy is achieved. If need be, let us create another structure for this so as to carry out effectively the needed activities for the success of the lobbying. Adequate funding should also be given to it in order to ensure its success.
“We should also strengthen what remains internally by ensuring that disaffections of disputes within the book ecosystem should be resolved. Each component unit of the book ecosystem has been clamouring against one challenge or the other. Now is the time to pay attention to each challenge and solve them, so that we would be strong enough to work as a unit to ensure the manifestation of the National Book Policy for educational development.
“The Book ecosystem in Nigeria should also be more useful to larger social and national issues. Corporate Social Responsibility is no doubt good. But, we should do more and shout it, scream it. Let it be known in every nook and cranny so that the government would be aware of our importance to society, and therefore approve the Book Policy Draft.” He advised.
On his part, the President of the Nigerian Education and Research Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Ismail Junaidu, who was represented by the Director, NERDC, Dr. Nnana Elere, said the Council was proud to associate with the NPA in producing quality books, stating that it was committed to making public more discoveries on the challenges confronting education in Nigeria, as well as providing feasible solutions to confronting those challenges in order to ensure high-quality education in the country.