I am delighted to join other members of the Nigerian book community – booksellers, printers, publishers, authors and lovers of the book – in this virtual gathering to witness the launch of the first edition of the Nigerian Booksellers Directory, 2021. My understanding is that we are today launching the electronic version of the Directory and that the physical edition will be rolled out at some later date. For many of us who are present here today, this is a dream come true!

I congratulate the Booksellers Association of Nigeria (BAN), the main drivers of this project and CSS Bookshops Limited for the wonderful initiative. I must also commend the tireless efforts of the editors, Messrs Dare Oluwatuyi and Richard Mammah for bringing their resourcefulness and thoroughness to bear on the project. I thank you for this invaluable gift to the nation.

The Booksellers Directory, I believe, will help to raise the standard of book trade in Nigeria and provide a credible source of information for publishers, schools, libraries, members of the public and those that would require the services of a bookseller. It would also provide the needed trade information and promote access to Nigerian books from outside the country. This should also be a redefining moment for stakeholders to change the way we carry on book business in Nigeria.

For the Nigerian Copyright Commission, this project is a welcome catalyst in our effort to develop a reliable database of practitioners in copyright-based industries. As part of our broader enforcement strategies to arrest copyright piracy in Nigeria, the Commission has adopted a multiprong approach, focusing on the different players and subsectors in the value chain. We are talking with authors, publishers, printers and of course booksellers. Booksellers are often the face of the book industry. They interface directly with buyers and ultimately play a very critical role in guaranteeing that the customer gets a genuine copy of the book.

Unfortunately, the bookseller, whether in the physical space or online, may also be an agent for the distribution of pirated materials. In some cases, he is more than a mere agent; he may be the importer or the one who commissions the printing of the pirated copies. In order to stem the level of book piracy, the Commission has intensified its surveillance of booksellers in the open markets, business premises, airports, hotels, online platforms, and on the streets. The sale of pirated books in any of these outlets will henceforth be met with the appropriate response. For instance, we are already engaging with Abuja Environmental Protection Board to rid the streets of hawkers of books and other copyright materials many of them pirated. The Commission is also discussing with right owners about the use of antipiracy devices to help members of the public better identify genuine copyright works.

The Commission will continue to collaborate with the Booksellers Association of Nigeria to promote professionalism and encourage legitimate booksellers to allow publishers recoup their investment, reward authors and significantly improve on the contribution of the book sector to national economy. This is particularly needful with the challenges faced with the industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I urge Government agencies, schools and lovers of the book to use the Directory as a source for information on genuine and accredited booksellers. The Commission will be working with the Association and other major stakeholders to deploy appropriate safeguards and regulatory interventions to help the industries recover speedily from the pandemic. Also, a Code of Ethics for Booksellers will soon be introduced in consultation with relevant stakeholders to bring sanity to book business in Nigeria. It is now time to separate the wheat from the chaff and encourage legitimate booksellers while weeding out the criminals who, as charlatans in this field have brought so much disrepute to the trade.

As we all know, copyright piracy remains a real threat to the nation as it destroys the creative industry and impoverishes authors. Piracy has also become more sophisticated and constitutes grave danger to society since many pirates work with other syndicates to undermine national security. It is also sad that unscrupulous importers are taking advantage of the zero duty on books to make false declarations either to evade payment of import duty or to smuggle prohibited goods into Nigeria. While thanking the Nigeria Customs Service for the success that has been recorded so far in checking illicit importations, more still needs to be done.

Once again, I thank everyone who has made this Directory possible, and I urge the Booksellers Association of Nigeria to ensure that the initiative is sustained. I look forward to similar publications from other major stakeholders in the copyright sector to help identify legitimate practitioners in their respective sectors. You may rest assured that the Commission will continue to support every such initiative to promote our common goal to grow the book sector for the good of country and the benefit of humanity.

Thank you.