WHILE the international conference and newly introduced Tertiary Education Summit are star attractions at this year’s Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF) scheduled to take place at Yard 158 Arena, Opposite The Citadel, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, there are other interesting programmes that will cater to the book and reading tastes of both physical and virtual attendees. The theme for this year’s book fair is ‘The Role of a Functional National Book Policy in the African Book Ecosystem’. The book fair opens on Wednesday, May 10 and ends Saturday, May 13, 2023. The Tertiary Education Summit is designed to find solutions to the lingering crises in tertiary education sector. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Benin City and Chairperson, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigeria Universities, Prof. Lilian Salami, will deliver the summit’s keynote address.
Other interesting aspects of the activities-packed book fair will be supplied by the constituent bodies that make up Nigeria Book Fair Trust (NBFT). Two such bodies – Network of Book Clubs and Reading Promoters in Nigeria (NBPR) and Reproductive Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG), which will hold their activities on Friday, May 12, 2023 at the fair venue. REPRONIG, in conjunction with its international parent body, International Federation of Reproductive Rights Organisations (IFRRO), will feature its ‘Rights Awareness Forum’ same day at 10:00am. It has as theme ‘Reproductive Rights: Concepts, Perspectives and Benefits.’ Local and international speakers will shed light on the concept of reproductive rights. Speakers include its newly elected Chairman and CEO of Ibadan-based Accessible Publishers Ltd, Mr. Gbadega Adedapo and Director-General of Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein, with Dora Makwinja, Joseph Gyamfi, Olav Stokmmo and Sarah Tran joining virtually from their respective bases.
NBPR, an amalgam of all book clubs in Nigeria, will hold its Readers’ Parley’ at 3:00pm, with the theme ‘Fresh Ideas for Reading Promotions’. Panelists for this session include three publishers – CEO of Parresia Ltd, Azafi Omoluabi, CEO of Masobe Books, Othuke Ominiabohs and CEO of PurpleShelves, Amara Chimeka and archivist and founder of CRIMMD Library, Idimu, Lagos, Dr. Raphael James, with the Secretary-General of Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), Mr. Toyin Akinosho moderating. President of NBPR, Mr. Richard Mammah said the network of book clubs will keep pushing the boundaries of reading promotions, so no one is left behind in the club’s quest to make every Nigerian a reader ready to participate in the country’s development.
The Network of Book Clubs and Reading Promoters in Nigeria is participating in the book fair shortly after it held its innovative Lagos Book Walk from Ikeja bus stop to the seat of political power in the state, Alausa, where it presented a charter of demands to the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Speaker, Lagos State house of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on what the state should do as a matter of urgency to revive reading activities in the state. Such demands include refurbishing all state libraries and making them attractive, so reader traffic is resumed as it happened years ago, and create other community-related activities around these library to attract patronage. It was a historic moment when a mammoth crowd undertook a walk for the cause of the book.
Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), another constituent body of NBFT, will also hold its yearly ‘Authors’ Groove’ at the book fair on Friday, May 12, 2023. The writer are bringing football register into play with the chosen topic for discussion: ‘Who Are the Greatest of All Times (GOATS) in Literature?’ Two panelists, who will entertain the audience on the topic, are Dr. Promise Adelie of Mountain Top University and Dr. Charles Akwen of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, with Dr. Taofeek Olatunbosun moderating the conversation.
