NIBF 2025 lights up Lagos, set to revive Nigeria’s education, economy
By Olufemi Timothy Ogunyejo
AS the curtains rise today, Wednesday May 7, 2025 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Lagos near Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, for the Nigeria International Book Fair 2025 (NIBF), a profound question echoes across the nation: Can books breathe life back into Nigeria’s ailing education system? The answer may well be found within these walls, as the Chairman of Nigerian International Book Fair Trust, Mr. Dare Oluwatuyi, welcomes a global convergence of bibliophiles, educators, writers, publishers, and policymakers. In a week overshadowed by disheartening news that the majority of candidates in the 2025 UTME scored below 200, NIBF opens its gates not merely as a marketplace for books—but as a battleground for the elevation of ideas. It is here that the future of Nigerian education may be redrafted, not in chalk and ink, but in vision, value, and verve.
Running from May 7 to 9, this year’s book fair is anchored on the theme: ‘Local Paper Production: Panacea to Affordable Book Production and Quantitative Education.’ Beyond the ink-stained covers and exhibition stands, the theme signals a strategic shift—toward self-sufficiency, cost-effective publishing, and education for all. In an era when over 20 million Nigerian children remain out of school, the fair takes on a new mantle: that of national rescue from educational and economic duldrums.
More than a cultural showcase, NIBF 2025 is a think tank for education reform. From keynote addresses by thought leaders like Prof. Abiodun Oluwadare and Segun Ajayi-Kadir to panel discussions and networking forums, the event serves as an incubator for solutions that bridge the gap between policy and practice.
Presided over by the visionary leadership of the Managing Drector of CSS Bookshop, Mr. Oluwatuyi, the book fair boasts of the support of the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, academic institutions’ heads, managers of publishing houses, and manufacturing partners. This year’s gathering is a symphony of sectors, each contributing its unique note to an orchestra of national revival.
Stakeholders from across Africa and beyond have convened not just to display books, but to dissect the deep-rooted dysfunctions plaguing Nigeria’s education landscape—and to proffer pragmatic, scalable answers.
The book fair kicks off today, May 7, and runs through May 9, at one of Lagos’ most prestigious venues. The Balmoral Convention Centre, Lagos Sheraton Hotel, becomes a melting pot where literature meets leadership, and where policymakers sip coffee beside publishers, authors, and education enthusiasts.
NIBF 2025 arrives with a dual mission: educational revival and economic revitalization. Last year’s edition generated NGN200 million in book sales, proving the fair’s capacity to stimulate the knowledge economy. By championing local paper production and affordable publishing, the book fair offers a roadmap to reduce the cost of educational materials, expand literacy access, and ultimately contribute to Nigeria’s GDP.
* Ogunyejo writes on behalf of Marketing, Media and ICT Committee of NIBF 2025
