“Dr. Anioke and NPA Lead Nigerian Delegation at 2nd African Publishers Conference in Harare”

The President of the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Dr. Uchenna Cyril Anioke, alongside other members of the organization, has jetted off to Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, for the 2nd African Publishers Conference.

The conference, which will commence on Monday, 3rd June 2024, will be hosted by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and the Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association (ZBPA) at the ARIPO headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Speaking with newsmen ahead of the event, Dr. Anioke stated that the essence of the conference is to enable the African Publishers Conference and post-collaborative activities to seek objectives that would drive the progress of the book industry in Africa.

He posited that, having successfully organized the first conference in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, last year under the patronage of François Remarck, the Minister of Culture and Francophonie of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, this year’s event promises to be bigger as it has expanded objectives, scope, and relevance for the African publishing industry.

According to him, “This year’s program will be hosted in Zimbabwe, which is the founding country of the African Publishers Network (APNET), with the theme ‘Enhancing the Capacity of the African Publishing Industry for the Promotion of Literacy.'”

“We have set out objectives for the conference which include: building the capacity of publishers’ associations, African publishers, and the publishing industry at the national and regional levels; strengthening copyright and existing Reprographic Rights Organizations (RROs) and establishing new ones in Africa; strengthening national and regional advocacy for the promotion of national book and reading policies, publishing, and distribution of books in African languages; advancing the knowledge and understanding of African and international stakeholder organizations in the African publishing industry; sensitizing and promoting the execution of pilot projects and projects that include research and book publishing innovations for the growth of the industry; updating the conference action plan for implementation to promote and improve the publishing industry in Africa; and empowering the participants to lead the implementation of the knowledge acquired and to share materials and knowledge with the publishers in their respective countries.”

“This year’s conference promises to be bigger as it expands its objectives, scope, and relevance for the African publishing industry. The theme for the conference is also congruous with the current situation of the publishing industry in Africa. The African publishing industry has a direct bearing on the promotion of literacy among Africans. Empowering publishers and other professionals of the industry to catch up and have an edge over the changing trends, which include artificial intelligence (AI), protecting copyrighted works and intellectual property rights, strengthening and sustaining Reprographic Rights Organizations (RROs), and data collection in Africa, among others, are all designed to build and enhance the capacity of the publishing industry.”

Dr. Anioke also stated that the success of the first edition, which had 43 participants from 16 countries, is what birthed this year’s event, adding that it will help in empowering publishers and other professionals of the industry to catch up and have an edge over the changing trends in the industry.

Reports also have it that the conference will involve the following high-profile dignitaries: the Guest of Honour, Minister for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs – Hon. Ziyambi Ziyambi. Special Guests will include Hon. Kirsty L. Coventry, Minister for Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture; Hon. N. M. Ndlovu, Minister for Industry and Commerce; and Mr. Willie Mushayi, the Chief Registrar of The Deeds, Companies and Intellectual Property under the Ministry of Justice.

It was also gathered that the African Publishers Conference will involve presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and the APNET General/Business meeting, all aimed at building and expanding the capacity of the publishing industry in Africa.

The conference will also have expected participants from over 30 countries.

Though it is organized by the African Publishers Network (APNET), it also has the support of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organizations (IFRRO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association (ZBPA), and the International Publishers Association (IPA).

Officials and speakers from the above partnering organizations will participate and also facilitate various sessions of the program.