Consciousness, Literature And Publishing In Africa (1)

There is the need to define some terms associated with our topic: Publishing, popularising and text.  The first two terms mean making something known to the public: the third exposes something for  public view which may be oral or written.  Text is composition in its soft or hard copy which may be read publicly or privately, dramatised or performed.  The tales, legends, myths and all oral compositions are oral texts: structural forms of literature which are verbalised, performed and actualised for people to enjoy. Hard copies of plays, poems, short stories and novels are texts common to everyone.

African Oral Literature has been in existence for centuries.  The mode of transmission has been through performance, popularising, advertising and publishing the forms through verbalisation.  Verbalised texts gain much attention of the public; verbalisation or performance is perhaps the most effective means of communication as well as exposing works to the public for criticism, education and entertainment.   Printed texts gain more prominence when put through this process than only distribution.  Printing is a more durable means of preservation of texts: structure and words, and style preserved in hardcopies.  Africa preserved and popularised its oral texts during the pre-printing era through verbalisation, performance, local verbal media of communication and promotion.

There was need to adopt a more lasting means of publishing works through printing for durability, preservation and criticism.  Britain colonised most countries in Africa.  The history of printing shows that it started elsewhere than Britain.  William Caxton was the one who introduced printing into the country. The British government saw the need for the introduction of printing into the country for the purposes I have mentioned. Its colonial mission offices decided to introduce printing in the countries colonised for various purposes.  Other colonial powers like Portugal and France introduced printing in the countries they colonised.

Printing assisted educationists and teachers to teach effectively.  Western philosophy, knowledge, geography, history and religion were popularised and advertised through the medium.  Everyone gradually needed printing for various purposes.

Printing in Africa started with whites with whom blacks worked for a period of time before mastering the art.  Publishing firms were established to publish materials for churches, government, the public and schools.  I shall concentrate on the last two that promoted the business of publishing rapidly.

Printers and publishers distributed published materials to the public and schools, which were mostly located in towns.  People were introduced to newspapers and magazines, informal means of educating them on social and political realities of the period, on daily or monthly basis.

Education was mostly formal but informal schools were established for those who worked and acquired education informally.  Printed materials were sent to them from Europe and America.  They read them, did the assignments given, posted the materials back, were assessed and given certificates if they were qualified.

The educated elite who studied journalism and related fields in America and Europe returned.  Few were interested in starting their newspapers.  They opened their publishing houses and started their own newspapers. Others started writing short prose works: literature on love, courtship and social problems.  Although the language of communication was not the standard at the beginning, they learned to communicate; their consciousness of the communication medium increased.  They were happy some of their stories attracted attention and made them get money.  The financial motivation made them write many more pamphlets.

The metropolises were centres of informal learning, where people listened to radio stations broadcasting in English, French and Portuguese languages.  They were used for writing prose, works, and dissemination of information and news.

The first crop of universities was established about the 1950s : University of Ibadan in Nigeria, University of Legon, Ghana, University of Makerere, Uganda, University of Nairobi, Kenya, and few others.  Lecturers from Europe and America were employed to teach African students various courses. They grew in learning, practised writing literature and other related courses they published on notice boards, bulletins and other media available to them on campuses.

Dr. Ngaage is of the English Department, Niger Delta University.

Barine Saana Ngaage