National President of the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Alhaji Lukman Dauda, and the National President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Dr. Uthman Oladipo Akanbi, have emerged as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Book Fair Trust (NBFT) respectively.
This development was contained in a press statement issued by Mr. Abiodun Omotubi, the Executive Secretary of the NBFT.
According to the statement, the emergence of the two distinguished literary and publishing stakeholders followed an emergency meeting of the NBFT Council held yesterday at Ibis Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The statement further stated that the election reflects the trust’s commitment to strengthening the Nigerian book industry and fostering greater cooperation among critical stakeholders in the literary and publishing sectors.
Members of the council expressed strong confidence in the competence, wealth of experience, and leadership qualities of both men to advance the vision of the NBFT and enhance its relevance both nationally and internationally.
Members of the council expressed confidence in the leadership capacity, experience, and vision of both men to reposition the trust for greater impact within and beyond Nigeria.
The NBFT is a foremost non-governmental organisation and the official umbrella body for major stakeholders in Nigeria’s book sector.
Incorporated in 2002, it serves as a coalition of authors, publishers, booksellers, printers, and librarians committed to promoting literacy, expanding the local book trade, and improving reading culture across Africa.
It is also known for organising the highly celebrated Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF) and several regional book exhibitions.
Dauda is a respected Nigerian corporate executive and accomplished publishing administrator.
Aside from serving as the President of the Nigerian Publishers Association, he is also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Evans Publishers Limited (Evans Brothers Nigeria Publishers Ltd.), making him one of the leading figures in West Africa’s educational and book publishing industry.
Similarly, Akanbi is an academic, agricultural economist, and creative writer of notable repute.
He currently serves as a Reader (Associate Professor) in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management at the University of Ilorin.
Through his contributions to scholarship and literature, he continues to bridge the gap between academia and contemporary Nigerian creative writing.
Stakeholders at the meeting congratulated the newly elected chairman and vice chairman, expressing optimism that their combined wealth of experience, dedication, and leadership qualities would further advance the objectives of the NBFT and enhance the growth of the Nigerian literary, educational, and publishing sectors.
