Accra, Nov. 3, GNA - Ms. Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry, on Tuesday urged writers and publishers to write books that would meet the needs and aspirations of generations yet to come. She said most wisdom was passed from generation to generation not necessarily from books and the vacuum should be filled by publishers. Ms. Tetteh made the call at the launching of the Eighth Ghana International Book Fair in Accra.

It is under the theme; "Books as Cultural Tools for Development With Nigeria being the Focus".

The six-day fair would showcase books, journals and documentary from 104 exhibitors from Ghana, Nigeria, India, United Arab Emirates, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

She urged publishers in Africa to cooperate and explore all opportunities that would be beneficial to the people in terms of the content of materials produced.

Ms. Tetteh said Nigerian writers and publishers were contributing 60 per cent of the publications within ECOWAS and commended the Nigerian publishers association for their participation in the fair. She urged the people to inculcate the culture of reading and learning to help develop the economy.

Ms. Tetteh said government had been developing the private sector focusing on industry and leaving the publishing industry outside and urged publishers in Ghana to engage the government in their operations. Mr. Olakunle A. Sogbein, Executive Secretary of Nigerian Publishers Association, said Nigeria and Ghana share similar post-independence stories. He said with their participation at the fair, they could make inroads into the Ghanaian market while Ghanaian publishers entered other countries. Mr. Sogbein noted that dealing in books was not thriving much but could assist a reader to know what was happening in other countries and vice versa and called on publishers to ensure they were properly organised. Mr. Adedapo Oyekanuri, Minister at the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, said cooperation should not only be on trade, diplomacy and peacekeeping but cultural advocacy through reading.

He said reading culture was at its lowest ebb and urged all and sundry to revive the culture to develop the mind. Professor Attukwuei Okai, General Secretary of Pan African Writers Association, urged writers to live up to expectation. 3 Nov. 09