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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday launched the Accra World Book Capital, 2023, with the firm conviction that it will be a catalyst for investment, especially in the creative and cultural sectors.
He said it was also an acknowledgement of the giant strides Ghana and Africa were making to develop the book and creative arts industries as well as scale up the youth through the transformative power of reading for societal development.
“For us in Ghana, the Accra World Book Capital is more than a reading campaign. It’s an opportunity for government and international partners to leverage the diverse linkages to culture and education to deepen our collective actions to make progress of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,” the President said.
The World Book Capital is an initiative of UNESCO which recognises cities for promoting books and fostering reading for a year, starting on April 23, the World Book and Copyright Day.
Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital carry out activities with the aim of encouraging a culture of reading in all ages and sharing UNESCO’s values. There is no financial prize for being nominated as host.
UNESCO adopted the 31c/Resolution 29, in 2001, establishing the World Book Capital programme and naming Madrid as the first World Book Capital city in 2001.
The launch attracted a host of stakeholders in the education, creative and books publishing industry as well as officials of UNESCO, led by the Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and the City Mayors of the World Book Capital Network.
Also present were representatives of the international Publishers Association of the International Federation of Library Associations.
The global programme for 2023 is on the theme: “Reading to Connect Minds for Social Transformation” and seeks to provide institutional support for life-long learning as well as reinforce school and community infrastructure.
Catalyst
President Akufo-Addo explained that the hosting was a catalyst for investment for the country’s creative and cultural sector and would enable the sectors to grow to provide more decent jobs for the people.
He said the recognition had come to re-ignite the spirit of reading and its inherent transformative power to impact positively the Ghanaian society towards the national goal of becoming a learning nation.
“We are confident that the world Book Capital project will lay a strong foundation for Ghana and Africa to spur the implementation of the declarations emanating from the key continental and global education movements, including activities earmarked for the 2024 African Union Year of Education”, he added
The President further indicated that the programme was targeting marginal groups with high levels of illiteracy, including women, the youth, street children and persons living with disabilities designed to impact directly some 100,000 children, youth and adults in Ghana.
“The power of books and reading must be the cornerstone to achieve a more inclusive, equitable and peaceful society,” President Akufo-Addo told the gathering.
Referring to a recent joint UNESCO and African Union report, President Akufo-Addo said the report indicated that although many countries in Africa were taking giant steps to ensure inclusive and quality education for all, too many children were still being left behind.
At the primary level, the report suggests that one in five primary-aged children are not in the classroom, while six in 10 adolescences are out of school due to several interlinking factors. Again 58 per cent of upper secondary level children in sub saharan Africa do not attend school. This is a scenario that is completely unacceptable.
President Akufo-Addo noted that the Government of Ghana, recognising the need to address barriers to access, equity and inclusivity in all aspects of societal life, had taken several noteworthy actions in recent years.
He mentioned that the free senior high school in public schools, the provision of more schools, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) centres across the country and the introduction of adoptive curriculum at all levels as part of the progress intervention.
Also, improving the quality of the teaching profession as well as government’s initiative of implementing digital solutions that were helping to promote an inclusive just and sustainable society were worthy of note.
Additionally, President Akufo-Addo said government, with the support from the private sector, would also construct a reading and creative writing facility in an effort to boost the culture of reading and creative writing to stimulate socio-economic transformation.
The construction of the facility in Accra would promote further the acquisition of 21st century skills to address rising unemployment in vulnerable communities, reinvigorate businesses in the domestic book industry.
He said it would promote the concept of libraries towards sustaining the culture of reading among the youth of our country.
The UNESCO DG, Ms Azoulay, noted that because the reading culture was a treasure that could be encouraged, promoted and supported at all stages of life, they played a crucial role in education.”
She said the launch was a call for action for all the initiatives that could support literature, authors, and reading and commended some diplomatic missions which took the initiative to translate in their national languages the work of classical Ghanaian authors to make them known around the world.
