The place of book publishing in national development in Nigeria

Abstract

Publishing plays a vital role in the development of any nation. Publishing industries exist in every country to meet the information needs of its citizens for the overall advancement of the country. To ensure meaningful development, publishers serve as watchdogs of the society. The paper examines the place of book publishing in national development in Nigeria. It discussed the concept of publishing and national development. Emphasis was also laid on the contributions of publishing to national development in Nigeria. The study also identified the factors affecting contribution of publishing to national development which include inadequate funds, noncompliance to legal deposit law, piracy, poor reading culture, dearth of basic ICT facilities, inadequate qualified manpower, negative attitude of investors and banks, dearth of expertise and high cost of production. Conclusion was drawn as well as suggestions that could help to ensure effective contribution of publishing to national development in Nigeria. It is hoped that from this study, publishers and other stakeholders in the publishing industry will rise up to the task of ensuring the production of quality information resources to facilitate literacy which invariably will enhance national development.