Bodour Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association (IPA), met with local publishers and members of the Ghanaian Publishers Association to discuss the huge opportunities which the global pandemic has presented for African publishers to rebuild their sector for future growth.
The Ghana visit is fourth in a series rolled out as part of an African tour to meet with the key organisations leading the publishing industry on the continent and engage in dialogue aiming to share knowledge and experiences in the face of the ongoing challenges created by Covid 19. Doing so, believes Al Qasimi, will “open doors for potential global partnerships which are a good route to diversification of our business models”.
While addressing diversity in educational solutions in Africa, Al Qasimi highlighted the opportunity offered by the sudden shift of millions of African students to online education, adding that “this is a huge opportunity for African publishers to make a fresh start”.
During her visit, the IPA President also met with members of the African Publishers Network (APNET), encouraging key industry stakeholders to engage closely with the IPA and, in doing so, find and explore untapped opportunities.
Al Qasimi also took the chance to encourage African publishers to apply for the third edition of the Africa Publishing Innovation Fund (APIF) – a four-year USD 800,000 grant program co-led by the UAE-based global philanthropic organisation Dubai Cares and implemented by the IPA. “The APIF is a catalyst of positive change in African publishing, literacy progress, and reading culture, and we are always on the lookout for home grown solutions to some of the most persisting publishing challenges.”
The IPA President’s arrival in Ghana follows visits to Egypt, Kenya, and the Ivory Coast earlier this year.