Booksellers release schedule for Nigerian virtual bookfair

Booksellers release schedule for Nigerian virtual bookfair

Tasie Theodore

The Booksellers Association of Nigeria, BAN has released the schedule of events that it would be hosting at the Nigerian Virtual Bookfair 2020.

According to the schedule that was made available to the press, Monday, the umbrella body of booksellers in Nigeria is braced for a grand outing at the forthcoming event and plans two conference activities and a presentation session.

The bookfair, which is an initiative of the Nigerian Bookfair Trust, NBFT, which BAN is a critical promoting stakeholder, is being held virtually this year from September 1-7, in lieu of the annual physical edition of the Nigerian International Bookfair series.

The physical bookfair event had been scheduled to hold in May but had to be put off on account of the national and global economy disruptions occasioned by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the expanded theme of the bookfair is: ‘Information Technology as a Panacea for Book Industry Sustainability amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, in particular, BAN is putting forward three events of its own at the fair.

The first is a conference on the subject,  ‘An effective booksellers association: the needed stimulus in the book supply chain,’ that has as  lead speaker, Mr. Kevin van Hasselt, a veteran book sector player, who is a Book Publishers & Education Equipment Representative for the Africa & Caribbean, and is based in Norfolk, United Kingdom. The session will be moderated by Mr. Adegbola Adesina, Deputy Managing Director, CSS Bookshops Limited, Lagos.

A second conference would address the issue of ‘Spending less, getting more, managing the online book marketing budget, with three seasoned book sector and IT professionals as speakers.

Specifically, the speakers on this second conference panel are Tobi Eyinade, Co-founder, Rovingheights; Gideon Ilori, Lead Consultant, Techside and Dr Eghosa Imasuen, Co-founder, Narrative Landscape Press. It will be moderated by Mr. Richard Mammah, Managing Director & CEO, Sunbird African Media Limited; Publishers of The Difference Newspapers and Contributing Editor, Business Hallmark.

The third presentation is a promotional preview of the association’s 2020 Directory which would be conducted around the topic: ‘Introducing the Nigerian Booksellers Directory: Locating the booksellers in your neighbourhood.’

The presentation at this segment would be made by Mr. Adegbola Adesina and Mr. Richard Mammah.

Commenting on the proposed events and the forthcoming bookfair package, the President of the Booksellers Association of Nigeria, BAN and Managing Director of CSS Bookshops Limited, Mr. Michael Oluwadare Oluwatuyi assured that everything had been done to ensure a most beneficial and rewarding experience at the event and fair. He therefore urged booksellers, book sector players and indeed all lovers and friends of the Nigerian book from within and outside the country to ensure that they register and participate fully in the sessions @ www.nigeriabookfair.com

The BAN statement was signed by its President, Mr. Dare Oluwatuyi and Secretary, Henry Ekom Itauma.

Mr Dare Oluwatuyi