A Nigerian Writer, Cyril Eboigbe, has called on the government and private sector to take advantage of the forthcoming Frankfurt book fair to improve the value chain and nation’s policy especially in education.
Eboigbe made the call in a statement issued last Friday in Benin.
Frankfurt book fair is scheduled to hold in October 2022 in Germany.
The international event, according to the statement, will attract a global response with thousands from all walks of life including Nigeria, featuring engagements in the business of networking, translating, negotiating, marketing, advertising including other social and economic activities.
According to Eboigbe, it is pertinent that education stakeholders do the needful in addressing all grey areas that tend to impair our educational system, drawing inspiration from this global book fair.
The writer expressed regret that Nigeria’s educational system was experiencing a plethora of challenges with the incessant strike by university lecturers in addition to dearth of school libraries and a high level of school drop-outs, among others.
“Following the trends in global event such as the COVID-19, climate change, immigration, refugees, war and its implication, it becomes necessary for the global community to utilise the current book fair occasion in Frankfurt.
“It should be used as a spring board for scholastic works and to further discussion on world peace and education in relation to the development of the under-developed war prone nations of the world.
“Remarkably, a book fair of such magnitude like the Frankfurter Buchmesse with a global appeal as the world’s largest book fair, will certainly be a hub of activities.
“This is with a record of increased number of participants from well over a hundred countries interacting and profiting from its social, political and economic activities.
“The platform provides the visiting publishers, organisers and (Chief Executive Officers the right exposure needed to host a similar book fair in their home country.
“Other benefits include a quest for home grown libraries, developing a reading culture and comprehensive skills amongst students thereby improving their knowledge base and vocabulary for understanding new subject topic,” he said.
“A notable motivation during this events will be the availability of a wide range of books where one can make a choice to choose from before the actual purchase is made.”
The writer added that the book fair cuts across all social-political divides. It has no limit to age, ethnicity, gender, colour, race or religion.
“It is opined that knowledge or education remains the bedrock for civilization to evolve and thrive in any society.
“Consequently, the book industry, is one industry known to solve the quest for increase intellectual capacity through the yearly book fair show and its e-learning reading culture,” he said.
He noted that the global engagement could be used to achieve global peace and security.