By Henry Akubuiro
With the cost of book publication and copies skyrocketing in bookshops across Nigeria, the reading culture in Nigeria is getting worse by the day. Thus, worms, rats and spiders have become the new readers in many bookshops. Unless books become affordable and more people read, the Nigerian author is a step removed from becoming an endangered species.
It is a fact, not everybody can afford to buy a book for pleasure reading now, and the economy of the Nigerian writer has been adversely affected with low sales, as readers focus attention on surviving the current economic hardship first. Some Nigerian readers prefer reading free e-copies rather than buying books. Others reach out to those who have bought trending books to hand over to them after reading.
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Thus, Nathaniel Bivan, the author of the new fiction, Boys, Girls and Beasts, lamented recently: “If you’re always asking for free PDFs, you’re not one of us. No authentic book lover prefers free books.”
The most affected of all the books on sale in Nigeria are literary works. The cost of new novels by leading Nigerian authors, like Chimamanda Adichie’s Dream Count, Chigozie Obioma’s The Road to the Country, and Nnedi Okoroafor’s Death to the Author ranges from N15,000 and N20,000 by October, 2025. With the minimum wage pegged at N77,000 for Nigerian workers, how many Nigerians can afford a copy of new works of fiction?
Lest we forget, a vibrant reading culture in most societies is measured by the number of works of fiction on individual bookshelves or digital libraries, which is why authors of creative works rank among the richest authors in the world. J.K. Rowlings, the author of the Harry Potter series, has made fame and fortune from her books. Forbes magazine estimates her worth around one billion US dollars. The fortune of US crime writer, James Patterson, is also flowing like ink, estimated at 800 million dollars.
Stephen King, the master of horror fiction, has made over 460 million dollars with his books. He is the author of The Shining and Pet Sematary, and his books have been translated into over 40 languages. John Grisham’s crime novels are among the best selling books in the world. The author of The Jury has sold over 275 million copies of this book alone. Other notable millionaire authors include Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, who has grossed over 25 million dollars yearly from the book.
The Brazilian bestselling author, Paulo Coelho, has generated over 500 million dollars from his books. The American writer, Nora Roberts, the author of Montana Sky and Angels Falls, is valued at 400 million dollars by Forbes, while another legendary American author, Danielle Steel, has sold over 530 million books worldwide, and has made over 550 million dollars. His most successful titles include the novels, A Perfect Stranger and The Gift.
Suzanne Collins, the author of Hunger Games, and other popular children and young adult books, has an annual income of 55 million dollars. Likewise, George Martin, the author of the fantasy books, The Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones, is valued around 120 million dollars. Stephenie Meyer has sold more than 155 million books from the Twilight series, raking in wealth for life. Dan Brown, famous for the thriller, The Da Vinci Code, has sold more than 57 million copies of that book so far, with an annual income of almost 20 million dollars. The list of bestselling millionaire authors in the world is endless, with almost all of them from the Western world.
More than anywhere else in Africa, Nigeria has produced the highest number of writers. It also has produced millions of literate adults, who ought to be buying and reading books with ease. It is baffling, however, that Nigeria doesn’t have too many bestselling authors, and the few we have are not ranked among those who have made outstanding fame and fortune from their books. It is more confusing, because book sales thrive on literate environments and huge populations. No thanks to poor reading culture, weak purchasing power of the naira, dearth of book promotion and marketing, we are yet to hit the expected high mark.
With dozens of well researched books published in literature and nonfiction, including politics, development, culture, public administration, media, autobiography, short stories in English and Hausa, and sundry publications, Bukar Usman should be raking in millions of dollars from sales as one of the most prolific Nigerian authors alive, but he has towed a different path by electing to donate most of his published books free, rooted in his firm belief that knowledge must be spread to all and sundry. These regular freewill donations are not so common these days, with publishers and authors striving desperately to break even, or be frustrated out of business.
The details of Usman’s extensive book donations are found in a new publication containing his recent speech as a guest speaker at the Bura Women Development Association (BUWDA), Abuja Chapter’s 2024 Bura Day Celebration in Abuja. In it, Usman listed over 40 books published by him, as well as forthcoming titles, like A Treasury of Nigerian Tales and My Involvement in the World of Folktales.
For the records, Dr. Bukar Usman has complemented his literary efforts with donation of books to individuals, media to houses, public libraries, primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities within and outside Nigeria. Among the beneficiaries in Nigeria are several linguistic departments in universities and colleges. Abroad, he has gifted books to Abdou Moumouni University, Niamey, Niger Republic; departments of African Languages in Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz; University of Leipzig and University of Hamburg, Germany. Others include Bayreuth University, Goethe University, Frankfurt, and Humboldt University, all in Germany. His books have also been donated to Zimbabwe University, Zimbabwe; University of Leeds, UK; School of Oriental and African Studies, UK; Warsaw University, Poland; Al’ Azhar University and Cairo University, Egypt.
From UNESCO to many global organisations, and media houses, like NTA, Voice of Nigeria, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kano Radio, Borno Radio and TV, Nagarta Radio, Kaduna, Liberty Radio, Kaduna; Jigsaw State Television; News Agency of Nigeria, Abuja, DAAR Communications PLC, Abuja, to mention a few, he has ensured his books are not limited to a particular audience. In the same vein, he has donated books as prizes for GSS, Kano, for its competition on fiction writing and drama, as well as the winners of the first World Hausa Songwriters Association competition held in Kano.
By also reaching out to many schools and organisations based in Nigeria and abroad, Usman ensures that his books are read by a legion. It is impossible to mention the number of recipients of Usman’s books in Nigeria, going by the long list, but it is noteworthy that millions of readers have read his books without paying a dime.
With Nigerian authors complaining of low sales, it is high time wealthy Nigerians, corporate bodies and philanthropists make book donations a priority. It will not only boost the economy of Nigerian authors, who are tasking their intellects rather than deploying it fraudulently, but also enlighten, especially millions of our youths, and make them see the value of education and skills acquisition and, above all, refrain from destructive anti-social behaviours associated with ignorance, which have been ravaging the country in recent years.
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