The Managing Director of Academy press PLC, Mr. Gbenga Ladipo has explained that the company did not ask the government to impose tariff on imported books. Ladipo stated this recently, in Lagos, during the company’s customers’ forum.
He said the printers asked for the elimination of tariffs on imported materials so that it can be at par with the zero duty status of imported books to allow for level playing and competitive field for the local printers as enjoyed by their foreign counterparts.
He said so far, the organisation has followed the trend of retooling and modernising its facilities, adding that it has acquired and installed, for operations new equipment worth over N1.5 billion.
While acknowledging the support of the Bank of Industry and First Bank , he said, “We regard ourselves as key stakeholders in the local print industry and feel obliged to always join others in pushing the interest of printers.
He expressed the organisation’s concern about the challenges and difficulties experienced by printers and print buyers alike in the industry which he said is threatening the industry.
“The most problematic of our inputs are raw material. All the material ingredients that we require to operate have for ever been faced with one challenge or the other. Key material such as paper is totally dependent, so is ink, plates, chemicals, spares, among others. In the era of huge naira devaluation, this has become a big challenge on our cost of production and invariably the cost to our customers,” Ladipo stressed.
Other challenges, the MD said, include problem of equipment and maintenance , skilled labour especially technical, managerial, local infrastructure such as power, roads and security.
He appealed to stakeholders to show understanding and cooperate with each other when it comes to the effect of all these on its businesses.
Chairman of Academy Press, Chief Simeon Oguntimehin said the industry has developed to a level where there is more automation, less dependency on traditional human skills, improved quality and fast delivery turnaround, adding that with the introduction of technology, it has indeed proved that the world is a small village.
“As border-less as the industry is, it behoves on the individual nation to create the enabling environment that world make the local industry to thrive. No nation would sacrifice its own business for foreign interest and expect to grow its economy or be truly independent of foreign domination, ” he said.
He stressed the need for the country to consistently strive to make its local establishment to be more efficient by continuous practice as only through such process that an organisation can rise to world class standard.
President Bookseller Association of Nigeria, Dr Olusoji Popoola, who spoke on the theme, ‘Bridging the Gap in Partnership at critical time of socio-economic challenges’, suggested that in order to bridge the gap that exist among key stakeholders in book industry in the country, a template where all stakeholders can come together periodically and form a coalition, healthy competition should be encouraged and multiple winners approach like in non-zero-sum game.
“There is need to identify common issues, enemies and interest and pull resources together to further the interest of the trade. Betrayal tendencies like in prisoners dilemma among key stakeholders should be discourages by rewarding loyalty appropriately, as well as increasing in advocacy and participation in government activities.”
He said the printers asked for the elimination of tariffs on imported materials so that it can be at par with the zero duty status of imported books to allow for level playing and competitive field for the local printers as enjoyed by their foreign counterparts.
He said so far, the organisation has followed the trend of retooling and modernising its facilities, adding that it has acquired and installed, for operations new equipment worth over N1.5 billion.
While acknowledging the support of the Bank of Industry and First Bank , he said, “We regard ourselves as key stakeholders in the local print industry and feel obliged to always join others in pushing the interest of printers.
He expressed the organisation’s concern about the challenges and difficulties experienced by printers and print buyers alike in the industry which he said is threatening the industry.
“The most problematic of our inputs are raw material. All the material ingredients that we require to operate have for ever been faced with one challenge or the other. Key material such as paper is totally dependent, so is ink, plates, chemicals, spares, among others. In the era of huge naira devaluation, this has become a big challenge on our cost of production and invariably the cost to our customers,” Ladipo stressed.
Other challenges, the MD said, include problem of equipment and maintenance , skilled labour especially technical, managerial, local infrastructure such as power, roads and security.
He appealed to stakeholders to show understanding and cooperate with each other when it comes to the effect of all these on its businesses.
Chairman of Academy Press, Chief Simeon Oguntimehin said the industry has developed to a level where there is more automation, less dependency on traditional human skills, improved quality and fast delivery turnaround, adding that with the introduction of technology, it has indeed proved that the world is a small village.
“As border-less as the industry is, it behoves on the individual nation to create the enabling environment that world make the local industry to thrive. No nation would sacrifice its own business for foreign interest and expect to grow its economy or be truly independent of foreign domination, ” he said.
He stressed the need for the country to consistently strive to make its local establishment to be more efficient by continuous practice as only through such process that an organisation can rise to world class standard.
President Bookseller Association of Nigeria, Dr Olusoji Popoola, who spoke on the theme, ‘Bridging the Gap in Partnership at critical time of socio-economic challenges’, suggested that in order to bridge the gap that exist among key stakeholders in book industry in the country, a template where all stakeholders can come together periodically and form a coalition, healthy competition should be encouraged and multiple winners approach like in non-zero-sum game.
“There is need to identify common issues, enemies and interest and pull resources together to further the interest of the trade. Betrayal tendencies like in prisoners dilemma among key stakeholders should be discourages by rewarding loyalty appropriately, as well as increasing in advocacy and participation in government activities.”
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