As the world marks the 2020 Book and Copyright Day amidst efforts to halt the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has affirmed its commitment to providing necessary legal and institutional support for the sustainable growth of the book industry.
The NCC in a statement commemorating this year’s World Book and Copyright Day with the theme ‘READ, Grow Wings and Travel’ signed by its Director-General, John Asein, also urged Nigerians to find solace in books amid disruptions caused by the virus.
He noted that through books, Nigerians could share in the experiences of others and find renewed faith in the power of knowledge.
Asein said: “Books afford us safe passage to other lands and cultures; they provide us with the much-needed company and comfort in times of distress; they broaden our minds with understanding and fire our power to imagine and create. Just as the present pandemic has exposed our common vulnerability as humanity, books document our successes, our resilience and our capacity to overcome and conquer from across generations.”
The NCC DG noted that COVID-19 had exposed a fragile knowledge ecosystem all around the world as school calendars and activities are disrupted, with most countries opting for alternative learning platforms, including the use of information and communication technology to instruct students.
He expressed hope that the experience gained from the use of ICT to instruct students during the ongoing crisis would lead to more attention being given to the integration of e-learning platforms into the educational system.
Asein also asked authors and publishers to embrace and promote e-books as alternative formats to make books more reader-friendly and encourage reading among the younger ones.
The DG, who didn’t fail to acknowledge the contributions of authors, editors, publishers, librarians and booksellers to knowledge systems and national development, assured them of the NCC’s constant legal and institutional support.
“The Commission will step up its campaign against book piracy and other copyright abuses to guarantee a return on investment. Measures are already being put in place to monitor the distribution networks and sales outlets. To this end, the Commission is working with publishers, printers, booksellers and importers to develop appropriate frameworks while we pay more attention to online infringements as part of a broader policy to create safe corridors for copyright works,” Asein said.
Going forward, the NCC DG advised authors and publishers to make changes in their business models to make books more appealing, especially to younger readers who are more at home with digital and online platforms.
He enjoined parents and others not to relent in empowering and encouraging younger people to discover the pleasures and benefits of reading. “As the oldest and most resilient category of copyright works, books have helped the growth and transmission of human civilization and contributed immensely to the development of virtually all fields of human endeavour, including medicine, religion, science, research, literature and entertainment,” he said.
Asein also assured persons living with disabilities of the Commission’s support through encouraging publishers to provide more books in accessible formats for them.
He concluded by affirming that humanity would emerge from the COVID-19 crisis stronger and better informed.
The World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated annually on April 23 to promote the enjoyment of books and reading.