Book publishing dying in Nigeria… people no longer read, says Afenifere leader

Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, a leader of the Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere, has expressed worry over what he describes as the declining reading culture in Nigeria.

Arogbofa says education may be dying in the country because people no longer read to improve their knowledge.

The Afenifere leader spoke on Saturday in Akure during the presentation of his book “The Psychology of Growing Old”.

The Afenifere stalwart, while addressing the people present at the event, noted that education would die without books.

Citing some renowned publishing companies that have folded up, Arogbofa argued that the book publishing industry is also dying.

“Education is dying. I know we have modern technology like this and that,” he said.

“But we can’t begin all this without writing; without producing the books.

“And we are not producing. And without books, we can’t move ahead.

“This is a challenge for us in education. I’m aware that some will write in their bedroom or publish in the kitchen.

“Nobody, no editor, will know what they have written. And they will go in front of their house to start selling the books.

“The next thing is that we find them in the hands of our students. And that is where education is going.”

Arogbofa appealed to the state governments and all stakeholders to look into how reading can be revived in Nigeria.