The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) on Thursday presented an Award of Appreciation to the Director-General of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr John Asein, in recognition of his invaluable support to NPA and the publishing industry in Nigeria.
The Awards presentation was one of the highlights of the 2025 Annual Conference of NPA, which also included its 60th anniversary celebration. Held on Thursday, December 4, in Ibadan, with the theme “Publishing in Nigeria: 60 Years of Impact, Innovation and Inclusion”, the event drew strong participation from the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), led by Director-General Dr John Asein.
NPA President, Alhaji Lukman Dauda, reflected on the Association’s six-decade journey—its role in literacy, curriculum development and intellectual-property protection—while urging deeper collaboration across the book ecosystem to embrace digital tools, AI and virtual learning for wider reach and new revenue opportunities.
The Chairman, Deacon Solomon Adeleke, commended the NPA’s contributions but emphasised ongoing concerns such as unchecked curriculum changes and piracy. He pressed the NCC for stronger enforcement and a more predictable regulatory environment.
In his keynote address, Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers’ Association (PAWA), Dr Wale Okediran, traced the history and evolution of Nigerian publishing, profiled major industry players, highlighted contemporary African writing (including the 2024 CANEX Book Prize longlist), and examined challenges such as piracy, financing, digital infrastructure gaps and the rise of self-publishing. He advocated stronger partnerships and capacity building.
During the interactive session, Dr Asein reiterated the NCC’s resolve to intensify anti-piracy regulation across the book value chain and urged greater cooperation from publishers and authors.
Goodwill messages from government and education leaders reinforced the call for innovation, professionalism and collaboration.
“In his message, Dr Asein congratulated the NPA on its 60-year milestone and stressed the need for digital transformation, robust rights management, new business models and strengthened enforcement under the Copyright Act 2022.
The conference also witnessed the launch of a ₦1 billion NPA Ultra-Modern Office project and the presentation of three awards. Dr John Asein received the Award of Appreciation for his significant support of the NPA and the Nigerian publishing industry.
