Issues, strategies and prospect of book trade practitioners in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the issues, strategies and prospects of book trade practitioners in Nigeria The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The study was carried out in five major markets, (one each) from all the states in the South-East Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were all adopted in the approach. It was discovered that book trade helps in identifying budding talents (writers) and projecting them to the world. Also, it was revealed that it helps educate the generality of the Nigerian society as well as create employment and revenue. It was also discovered that ever expanding school population in Nigeria, increase in established institutions across educational levels and the policy of compulsory basic education are all potentials of bookselling. Moreso, the findings revealed that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) particularly the computer, telecommunication and Internet technologies as well poor reading culture including unfriendly government policy, poor access to low interest capital and ineffective antipiracy campaign contribute significantly against book trade in Nigeria. Provision of soft loans to booksellers, effective anti piracy campaign and prosecution of offenders, on-line/electronic selling took the pride of place as the strategies that can be adopted for enhancing bookselling in Nigeria. Book trade is channelled towards promoting learning and expanding knowledge. Based on this premise, the issue of bookselling must be taken more seriously than before. The stakeholders in the business should jointly come up with  interesting solutions to those  constraints that are ravaging the industry. It is high time for Nigerian government to borrow leaf from their foreign counterparts such as Britain and United States of America book policies