Stakeholders in the country’s education system have stressed the need for those in the book industry to continue to work at the process of restoring the traditional book chain to address and fix the inter-sectoral distortions that exist today.
They spoke in a communique issued at the end of Flannel Business School book roundtable and discourse and Awards 2022, emphasising the need for greater collaboration and synergy among players and stakeholders in the book ecosystem.
The communique was signed by Chairman of Planning Committee, Alhaji Lukman Dauda and the school’s director-general, Lawrence Omidiora.
The following issues were discussed at the event: “The book as agent of change in a rapidly changing world”, “A new business model for the book business” and “Between digital books and the reader, interrogating the viability in a developing nation”.
The lead speaker was Professor Pat Utomi, Founder, Centre for Value in Leadership while the panellists include: Dr. John Asein, the Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission; Cyril Anioke, President, Nigeria Publishers Association; Mr. Dare Oluwatuyi, Managing Director/CEO of CSS Publishers, Lagos and President, Nigeria Book sellers Association; Dr. Wale Okediran, General Secretary, Pan-African Writers Association; Mr. Asawo Ibufero, Managing Director, Cinfores Limited, Port-Harcourt; Dr. Adesola Falaiye, Managing Director, Afkar printing and publishers, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos and representative of The Printers Institute, Lagos and Kolade Mosuro of The Bookseller, Ibadan, who was the moderator.
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The event was well-attended by experts in the publishing industry and in particular, the book ecosystem, including traditional rulers like Ooni of Ife Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II and Oba Adedapo Adewale Tejuoso, CON, Osile Oke-Ona Egba, Abeokuta.
It was the general consensus at the event that the book is an indisputable agent of change and for as long as human beings remain as agents and beneficiaries of development, there is compelling need to pay attention to the place of book viz-a-viz education.
The gathering noted that the book promotes literacy as a catalyst for development. Therefore, an underdeveloped society is a book famished society.
The communique reads: “Book is an economic asset for a country’s growth; a catalyst for mental growth and social integration. Book is a dynamic took for historical documentation and generational bonding; a medium of mass communication and enlightenment; a sustaining pillar for education, teaching, learning and research. Book is a springboard for innovation and scientific advancement. Book is a pivot of stability; fountain of pleasure and leisure to the general reader. The book industry is critical factor in the authentic development of any nation and the dignity of a people. Books help to enlighten, influence, empower and promote socialisation to become a positive factor in the environment.
“Book is a major factor in national development. The book, whether physical or electronic, remains one of the major bastions of hope for a country that wants to gain ascendancy and global relevance. For book to effectively change an individual, book must be introduced to the young ones at a very tender age; and parents are to instill reading culture in their children as the best time to get adequate knowledge is at the primary education level, and urged the government to prioritise it.’’