The Founder and Managing Director of Fortham Publishers Limited, Mrs. Msurshima Comfort Chenge has called for increased efforts to make books accessible and affordable to the public so as to reverse the trend of dwindling reading culture in the country.
According to Mrs. Chenge, accessibility entails making books available to schools, libraries, bookshops, mobile libraries, and online platforms where readers can easily find and buy them at affordable prices.
Speaking recently in Abuja as a panelist at the 5th National Conference & AGM 2025 of the Network of Book Clubs and Reading Promoters of Nigeria (NBRP), Mrs. Chenge said accessibility, affordability and audience development are crucial in building a reading nation.
Dissecting the topic, “Publishing for a Reading Nation: Strategies for Accessibility, Affordability, and Audience Development in Nigeria”, she acknowledged public concerns over the rising cost of textbooks and reading materials, explaining that the issue is tied to high operation costs.
“We must brace up and appreciate the fact that things are no more the same. The cost of production has hit the rooftop. Electricity tariffs have gone up, fuel is almost unaffordable, there is also rent to pay. Education is not cheap. Let us place high value on it in view of the social roles it plays”, she said.
Mrs. Chenge appealed to parents, governments, and institutions must deliberately prioritise books and knowledge as much as they do other essentials.
Earlier, she congratulated the Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Prof. Mrs. Chinwe Veronica Anunobi on her Champion of Reading Award 2025, describing the honour as “well-deserved,”
She applauded Professor Anunobi’s transformative leadership in modernising library operations and advancing digital services across the country.
The conference, which drew writers, publishers, librarians, teachers, students, and policymakers, also featured poetry recitals from students, panel discussions on publishing challenges, and strategic conversations on how to mainstream reading in the national agenda.
