The newly appointed president of the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Alhaji Lukman Dauda, has reaffirmed the association’s dedication to collaborating with the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) and other relevant agencies to intensify the fight against piracy in Nigeria’s publishing industry.
Speaking at his investiture ceremony on Thursday, February 20, in Ibadan, Oyo State, Alhaji Dauda, who also serves as the managing director of Evans Brothers Nigeria Publishers Limited, expressed deep concern over the devastating effects of piracy on both the education and publishing sectors in the country. He emphasized that his administration would make concerted efforts to increase public awareness of the dangers of piracy and its negative impact on society.
As the 25th president of the NPA, Alhaji Dauda promised to introduce initiatives that would encourage member publishing firms to take a more proactive role in combating piracy. He stressed the importance of sustained engagement with government bodies and other stakeholders to protect the interests of publishers and strengthen the industry as a whole. Having previously served as the association’s vice president under the leadership of Chief (Dr.) Uchenna Cyril Anioke, he assured stakeholders that he would continue building on past efforts to ensure the growth and development of the publishing sector.
The chairman of the investiture event, Honourable Sunday Adepoju, who is also a board member of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), underscored the crucial role of the publishing industry in national development. He pointed out that no nation could achieve meaningful progress without a robust education system, and since the publishing industry is integral to education, it must be nurtured and protected.
Honourable Adepoju sympathized with publishers, acknowledging the rising costs of book production and the severe consequences of piracy. He illustrated the challenges faced by publishers, noting that after investing substantial resources into book production—including high costs of materials and labor—unscrupulous individuals often pirate these works, causing significant financial losses.
He further stated that the government remains committed to exploring strategies to alleviate the financial burden on publishers while intensifying efforts to eliminate piracy. Honourable Adepoju then urged the new NPA president to work closely with relevant government agencies to address the pressing challenges confronting the publishing industry in Nigeria.
By Adewale Oshodi
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