Nigerian Publishers, Authors Association Leaders Elected to Head National Book Fair Trust

LAGOS, Nigeria — The Nigerian Publishers Association and the Association of Nigerian Authors have appointed new leaders to steer the Nigerian Book Fair Trust, the umbrella body for the country’s book industry.

Alhaji Lukman Dauda, national president of the Nigerian Publishers Association and managing director of Evans Publishers Limited, was elected chairman of the Nigerian Book Fair Trust at an emergency meeting of the trust’s council held Tuesday at Ibis Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, the trust said in a statement.

Dr. Sheu-Usman Oladipo Akanbi, national president of the Association of Nigerian Authors and an associate professor of agricultural economics at the University of Ilorin, was elected vice chairman at the same meeting.

The appointments were announced by Abiodun Omotubi, executive secretary of the Nigerian Book Fair Trust.

According to the trust, council members cited the experience and leadership credentials of both men in selecting them to advance the organization’s mandate. The trust said the elections reflect its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s book industry and improving cooperation among authors, publishers, booksellers, printers and librarians.

“The emergence of Alhaji Lukman Dauda and Dr. Sheu-Usman Oladipo Akanbi reflects the trust’s commitment to strengthening the Nigerian book industry and fostering greater cooperation among critical stakeholders in the literary and publishing sectors,” the statement said.

Council members expressed confidence that the new leadership would “reposition the trust for greater impact within and beyond Nigeria,” it added.

Founded in 2002, the Nigerian Book Fair Trust is a non-governmental organization that coordinates stakeholders across Nigeria’s book sector. It organizes the annual Nigeria International Book Fair and regional book exhibitions, and works to promote literacy, expand the local book trade and improve reading culture.

Dauda has led the Nigerian Publishers Association since 2024 and oversees Evans Publishers Limited, one of West Africa’s established educational publishers.

Akanbi is a creative writer and academic whose work bridges agricultural economics and contemporary Nigerian literature. He serves as a reader in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management at the University of Ilorin.

Stakeholders at the meeting congratulated the new chairman and vice chairman and said they expected the leadership to advance the trust’s objectives and support growth in Nigeria’s literary, educational and publishing sectors.