One of my mentors in the book business is the Chairman of Literamed Publications, Ikeja, Otunba O.M Lawal-Solarin. .
I first met him in 1996, when as a member of the executive of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Lagos, we were holding meetings on several matters relating to the book and reading culture in Nigeria at his Alausa office. Later, we went on to work with him in the reading promotions organisation, Synergy Educational and other related book endeavours and I have made it a point of duty to remain in touch with him since then.
A Renaissance personality in every sense of the word, Lawal-Solarin is one Nigerian who could disagree with you at a level but yet work with you on another. Even when we had divergent views at a time over the modalities for re-energising the bookfair movement in Nigeria, he still kept the door open and would continue to discuss and work with us on the bigger picture of doing everything possible to grow the book trade and reading culture in the country.
In the course of over two decades relating with him, he has remained his affable best and committed to the promotion of best practices in the book trade.
Since those early 1969 days when the trained pharmacist ventured to publish the nation's first indigenous pharmaceutical index, Medipharm, Lawal-Solarin has not looked back on his commitment to books and the book trade. Today, Literamed not only publishes many of the traditional school texts that yet sustain a lot of the operations of the major publishers in the country, it also publishes the popular Lantern Books readers that generations of readers continue to savour and delight in.
My latest meeting with him took place this week and in the course of discussions, he once more unveiled his heart on what he considers the 'goldmine that remains untapped in the Nigerian books landscape.
'Richard, if only government will be faithful to implementing its own National Book Policy. The policy says that government should work towards ensuring that text books are written and published by Nigerian professionals and made available to children in the primary and secondary school levels. Now can you imagine what boost the educational sector and indeed the economy would receive if only four text books each are provided for the 25 million children at the primary school level. That would be 100 million books and it would impact every bit of the book chain. But we are not doing that.'
At this meeting also, Lawal-Solarin touched on another point of inspiration that he had as he grew up. It had to do with his having to spend some time in an intellectual community in the U.K where books and discussions around ideas were the staple. It was an atmosphere that rubbed off on him most thoroughly, and which lifted him far above the pedestrian inclinations and dispositions of many of his contemporaries.
'Richard, that time and encounter made such an impact on me that has continued till date. Those many hours spent, discussing ideas of different hues and endless streams of topics amidst a sea of books was indeed something else. It helped shape me into what I am today and I am glad for it.'
That is vintage Lawal-Solarin. Insightful. Perceptive. Expansive. With men like this, the Nigerian book sector and indeed the nation would be better for it. Do have a great day, Sir.
Last line: More individuals and organisations are standing up to be counted in the Nigerian National Book Week holding from April 23-29, 2012. You too can and should be involved.
No comments:
Post a Comment