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By Oluseye Ojo
The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has launched a year-long intervention programme, called the ABC Action Plan towards promoting reading for pleasure and raising awareness about copyright.
Director-General of NCC, Dr. John Asein, who launched the initiative of the agency on Tuesday, said the programme would not only promote reading for pleasure, it would also build respect for copyright through the ABC Action Plan. The plan was launched in commemoration of this year’s World Book and Copyright Day, with the theme: ‘Read Your Way’. Eight secondary schools and one primary school drawn across Oyo State, including schools for the blinds, participated in the programme, and read from some of Prof Wole Soyinka’s books.
Asein, at the programme, which was held in Ibadan, and chaired by a renowned publisher, Prof. Andrew Okwilagwe, stated that the day was set aside by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to focus on books, celebrate authors, promote reading, encourage non-discriminatory access to knowledge and raise copyright awareness. He explained that the acronym A.B.C, focuses on three key aspects, where A stands for adopt measures to make reading more fun for all, B stands for bring books closer to more children, and C also stands for choose change champions for books and copyright.
Asein also called on stakeholders in the book industry to recognise July 13 as Nigeria’s National Reading Day to encourage Nigerians to read for pleasure and draw attention to some of the values that Soyinka has advanced in the literary world.
