Accra to host UNESCO’S World Book Capital 2023
Following examination by the World Book Capital Advisory Committee, the City of Accra was chosen by UNESCO as the World Book Capital for 2023.
After the Inter-Ministerial / Agency Committee, chaired by the Ghana Book Development Council, assembled the persuasive dossier that earned Ghana this prestigious worldwide distinction, Accra was chosen ahead of other cities.
The emphasis of the Ghanaian program was on young people and their capacity to use reading to enrich Ghana’s culture and prosperity. Thus, Accra joined the elite World Book Capital Cities Network as the fourth city in Africa to acquire this designation since 2001. This is undoubtedly a recognition of the enormous progress Ghana and Africa are making in the growth of their book and creative arts industries.
For the following calendar year, from April 23, 2023, to April 20, 2024, Ghana will serve as the host.
The UNESCO World Book Capital initiative recognizes the value of reading and books as pillars of a more open, just, tranquil, and sustainable society.
The Ghanaian government, which shares this vision, is aware of the need to remove obstacles to fairness and inclusivity in all spheres of society life. Government efforts to ensure a just and sustainable society, for instance, include making secondary education free, building more schools and STEM Centers across the nation, developing curricula that are appropriate for all grade levels, and raising the standards of teachers and the teaching profession.
Under the theme: ‘Reading to connect minds for social transformation’, the Accra World
Book Capital, 2023 covers six broad thematic areas that seek to:
• Transform minds and promote lifelong learning through a series of reading promotion activities targeting the youth nationwide.
• Provide schools and communities with books and reading infrastructure, including the construction of facility in Accra for Reading and creative – Writing.
• Promote the Florence Agreement, and the publication and use of books in Ghanaian languages to revamp the Ghanaian book industry.
• Promote creative skills to address rising unemployment, substance abuse, truancy in schools, and teenage pregnancy among the youth, as well as equip the youth and the disadvantaged with 21st Century skills towards socio-economic transformation.
• Promote fundamental human rights to advance the right and access to information through books and encourage publishing.
• Safeguard and promote Ghanaian Arts and Culture towards inclusivity and diversity of cultural expressions within the context of acceptable cultural norms.
Ghana will gain a lot from Accra serving as the 2023 World Book Capital.
When referring to the World Bank’s ranking of educational learning poverty, Minister of Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum observed, “If by age 10 your Children can’t read you are likely to be a poor country.” Therefore, the World Bank examined countries using a classification system, and regrettably, 87% of our children in Sub-Saharan Africa are illiterate. Only 2% of primary two students in our own nation, Ghana, could read in 2015. Although we have now reached 38%, this is still unacceptable. He declared.
He said, “We need to make every effort to capitalize on the spotlight that will soon be shining on Accra. If we all pledge to buy a book a month to read, more publishers will be encouraged. He observed.
Abdourahamane Diallo, the UNESCO representative in Ghana, stated that the theme “resonates with UNESCO’s goal to ‘create the defenses of peace in men and women’s minds. This demonstrates how crucial reading is to influencing people’s opinions, especially those of young people, and how reading can forge new friendships.
“UNESCO and the book industry, including authors, publishers, and writers, envision Accra as the World Book Capital in 2023, revitalizing and promoting the domestic book market while rethinking the idea of libraries, advancing literacy, and fostering a love of reading among young people.” He declared.
The Accra International Conference Centre will conduct a spectacular opening ceremony on April 24, 2023, where President Akufo-Addo will host a wide range of significant international figures.
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