By Temi Ohakwe, Abuja
The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has urged the Federal Government to intensify its war again piracy of intellectual properties particularly against, pirates and vendors of pirated books being sold on the streets across the country.
The Association also urged the Government to strengthen copyright law in order to eradicate the menace of piracy in the country.
Presenting three brand new Coaster buses to Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), President of the Association, Gbadega Adedapo, who made the call on Wednesday, said Nigerian authors were worried that most of the books being sold in the country were not from their owners.
He disclosed that the association was already collaborating with several organisations including the Nigerian Copyright Commission in ensuring that books were bought from rightful owners.
Adedapo, also called on the government to put in place functional book policy, noting that the issue of piracy was not something that could be taken with levity without strong legal backing.
According to him, the gesture was a part of the association’s social responsibility with the hope that the donation would be useful and contributes to the commission’s increased productivity.
“We have donated books worth over N27 million to UNICEF for onward distribution at IDPs camps and we won’t rest on our oars as we continue to support our society,” he added.
Responding, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, thanked members of the association for their kind gesture, saying that the buses would be used for coordination of basic education and staff welfare.
