World Courant
Okada Books, a Nigerian digital publishing and bookselling platform, has introduced that it’s going to shut on November 30, 2023 as a result of “insurmountable challenges”. Based in 2013 by Okechukwu Ofili, the platform has helped greater than 8,000 writers develop into free authors, with greater than 20,000 books out there for obtain. Nonetheless, the platform has did not maintain operations amid the financial downturn and low studying tradition in Nigeria.
Okada Books is a platform the place anybody can publish and promote their books, so long as they’ve the authority to take action. The platform receives a 30% fee upon publication, whereas the writer or writer receives a 70% fee. The platform has a wide range of books starting from fiction to non-fiction, romance to thriller, poetry to biography. About 80% of books are free, whereas 20% are usually not. The platform additionally has a neighborhood of readers and writers, who can work together and share suggestions concerning the books.
In an announcement on The assertion doesn’t specify the precise challenges, however they’re prone to embrace the excessive inflation, forex disaster and low buying energy which have plagued the Nigerian economic system lately. The assertion additionally thanked the authors, readers and companions for his or her assist and loyalty, and expressed hope that the platform can be revived sooner or later.
The closure of Okada Books is a blow to the Nigerian literary scene, which has struggled to advertise and maintain a studying tradition among the many inhabitants. Based on a 2021 report, the literacy price in Nigeria was 77.62%, with an annual enhance of 0.13% in the identical yr. Nonetheless, Nigeria has one of many lowest studying cultures on the earth as many Nigerians favor different types of leisure equivalent to tv, music and social media. Based on a report from the BusinessDay Analysis & Intelligence Unit, solely 42% of respondents listed studying as one in all their favourite types of leisure.
Expertise has additionally impacted the best way Nigerians eat content material. They’ve entry to data and leisure by means of varied channels equivalent to tv, computer systems, cellular gadgets and the Web. Based on the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC), as of July 2023, there have been 159.5 million energetic web subscribers in Nigeria throughout cellular, fastened and VoIP networks. Nonetheless, this doesn’t essentially translate into extra studying as Nigerians eat numerous video content material; 58% of movies watched on laptops, tablets and cell phones are episodes or clips of TV exhibits.
After ten years, the Nigerian digital publishing home is closing up store
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