Africa-Press – Gambia. I recently participated in the Unesco-British Council Meeting regarding the condition of the Books and Publishing Sector in Africa, organized by the Ghana Publishers Association (GPA). The initial aspect that caught my eye was the Unesco recognised Book Cities in Africa. Accra has been officially recognized as Unesco World Book Capital for 2023, whereas Dakar was named in the realm of Media Arts in 2014.
When will we designate Banjul or Brikama as a Unesco Book City? Shouldn’t this be an open conversation within our arts and cultural landscape? Should we persist in ignoring The Gambia’s literary scene as a failed group of ineffective writers who are unrealistic and unappealing? If given the opportunity to meet His Excellency President Adama Barrow, the first question I would politely pose is how many Gambian books he has read between 2017 and now. In what ways did these books influence his life while serving as president? These two inquiries are enough to completely grasp his leadership as a head of state.
Throughout the meeting, the presenters offered compelling perspectives on the ways in which publishing influences education, identity, and cultural interactions across the continent. One aspect specifically caught my attention: The Gambia’s creative economy was still untapped.
The Unesco African Book Industry: Trends, challenges & opportunities for growth, released in June 2025, outlines the book industry throughout all 54 countries in Africa. It emphasiszes important information such as: Estimated annual publishing revenue in Africa stands at $7 billion and the opportunity for expansion—reaching $18.5 billion through essential actions.
Main challenges: inadequate legal structures, strong dependence on imports, insufficient local publishing systems, and a lack of libraries and bookstores.
Strategic suggestions: strengthen laws, promote local ISBN and book councils, and leverage educational and regional-language publishing prospects.
What is The Gambia’s position in this scenario? The conversations emphasised the crucial necessity to enhance Africa’s literary ecosystem, addressing issues of distribution and copyright while exploring the prospects in digital publishing and youth engagement in reading.
This insight is crucial — our narratives, once released and disseminated, safeguard culture, amplify voices, and motivate upcoming generations. Dr Wale Okinderan, the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), stated that merely 5 countries among PAWA Member-States have established book policies. The Gambia, regrettably, lacks a book policy, a creative economy strategy, and comprehensive investment in the book market.
Unesco’s 2025 assessment of Africa’s book ecosystem outlines a sector valued at approximately $7 billion currently, with a viable route—through policy and market changes—to annual revenues of $18.5 billion. While the report is continental in scope, its main factors are directly applicable to The Gambia’s small yet culturally rich market, where oral traditions and English-language writing thrive alongside each other, and institutional frameworks are already in place to foster growth.
Here’s a detailed overview of Unesco’s significant report, “The African Book Industry: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities for Growth” (June 2025), emphasizing the main data and strategic observations regarding production, readership, ISBNs, and creative revenue:
Present condition & market range
Revenue: The book industry in Africa now produces roughly US $7 billion each year, representing around 5.4% of worldwide publishing revenue.
Educational Publishing constitutes about 70% of the market, establishing it as the leading segment on the continent.
Trade imbalance: In 2023, Africa brought in approximately $597 million worth of books, while exports were only about $81 million—illustrating a significant trade deficit.
Growth potential: With strategic reforms implemented, the market could nearly expand threefold in value, potentially hitting $18.5 billion, with educational publishing contributing as much as $13 billion.
Publishers and titles: Africa boasts around 6,400 publishers that publish 86,000 titles annually.
Retail and library access: One bookstore for every 116,000 individuals. Just one public library for every 189,000 residents.
A wider estimate suggests approximately 8,000 public libraries throughout the continent.
Festivals & networks: Africa features 270 yearly book festivals/fairs and comprises more than 200 professional publishing organisations.
Copyright & legal framework: Legislative Shortcomings: Roughly 90% of African nations do not have adequate legal structures specifically designed for the book sector, aside from fundamental copyright or legal-deposit regulations.
ISBN & traceability: The report highlights the need to enhance national ISBN agencies to boost book traceability—an essential infrastructure frequently insufficient
Digital platforms: Digital services such as Snapplify and Akoobooks are increasingly changing the landscape by offering e-books and audiobooks, particularly in regions with scarce physical infrastructure.
Innovative income: Although Unesco offers a main statistic for the book market, detailed figures regarding creative-industry earnings (such as author royalties) are not individually specified in the resources I reviewed. Nonetheless, the emphasis on educational publishing clearly highlights its position as the primary source of income.
Strategic Recommendations: Unesco outlines three major levers to unlock the industry’s full potential:
Legal & Institutional Strengthening
Enact and enforce dedicated book laws
Modernise copyright regimes
Set up national book development councils
Establish domestic ISBN agencies
Building Robust Local Markets
Integrate book publishing into national industrial strategies
Enable financial support mechanisms
Prioritise local publishers and content in textbook procurement
Implement export incentives and manage foreign investments
Expanding readership & access
Invest in library infrastructure
Support digital publishing platforms
Launch national reading campaigns
Conduct regular reading-habits surveys for data-driven policy-making
Snapshot table
The Gambian book market dynamics and demand:
Gambian literature is rooted in vibrant oral traditions and a contemporary English-language body influenced by authors like Dr Lenrie Peters and Tijan M Sallah, yet local print markets are still scarce. Similar to numerous African nations, The Gambia depends significantly on imported textbooks and educational resources, a trend that Unesco highlights as an impediment to local value generation throughout the continent. Enhancing baseline reading demand—via school libraries and community access locations—is thus as crucial as enhancing the supply side of publishing. Recent statistics indicate that adult literacy has been increasing, reaching approximately 58.7% (2022), which, if maintained, broadens the future market for local authors and publishers. Unesco’s report indicates that Africa’s publishing industry—while presently limited—holds significant untapped opportunities. By achieving the right mix of policy, infrastructure, national pride, and digital innovation, the continent has the potential to significantly enhance its creative production and economic benefits.
Gambian institutions and infrastructure: A major asset is the Gambia National Library Service Authority (GNLSA) in Banjul, acting as a legal-deposit guardian, upholding the national bibliography, and offering ISBN services—essential infrastructure Unesco emphasizes for robust book networks. International ISBN records further validate the allocation of a Gambian registration group (e.g., 978-9941), indicating an acknowledged national route for title identification and information. Collectively, these components facilitate improved cataloguing, discovery, and sales reporting—essential conditions for publisher finance and public procurement.
Key challenges (mirroring Unesco’s findings):
Weak policy coherence & procurement leakage. Fragmented book/reading policies and education procurement that favours imports limit scale for Gambian presses—exactly the pattern Unesco flags continent-wide.
Thin retail & library networks. Limited bricks-and-mortar bookstores and under-resourced libraries depress per-capita access; Unesco stresses public-reading infrastructure as a growth prerequisite.
Metadata and market data gaps. Without consistent national bibliography updates and ISBN/price/title feeds, books remain invisible to buyers and donors; this mirrors Unesco’s emphasis on bibliographic data as market oxygen.
Small domestic print runs. Micro-runs raise unit costs and retail prices, limiting affordability in a price-sensitive market—another continental constraint highlighted by Unesco.
Strategic suggestions for The Gambia (in line with Unesco’s plan)
Implement a cohesive National Book and Reading Policy.
Establish legal deposit enforcement, library criteria, and local-content objectives within education procurement. Unesco’s framework connects this policy alignment to the continent’s revenue-increasing situation.
Formulate The Gambia’s creative industry development bill for the advancement of the creative sector.
Implement a national book strategy
Enhance GNLSA’s presence in the marketplace.
Transform ISBN allocation and legal deposit into entirely digital processes with strict timelines.
Reintroduce the Gambia National Bibliography on a quarterly basis with accessible metadata (ONIX/CSV) to ensure that books can be found by educational institutions, donors, and international sellers.
Determine the localized value of the textbook. Implement “Made-in-Gambia” scoring for textbook tenders and mandate co-publishing/printing with Gambian companies when donors finance book purchases—this method is suggested by Unesco for enhancing local capabilities.
Remove ratings from books and inputs. Eliminate VAT/taxes on paper, ink, and educational materials; Unesco highlights fiscal relief as an effective demand driver throughout African markets.
Broaden GNLSA’s regional presence (including mobile libraries) and allocate a small, consistent budget for purchasing Gambian books; this improves access and establishes steady demand.
Distribution in digital format first. Promote e-books and print-on-demand for limited editions; focus on school-device trials and public Wi-Fi spots in libraries (expanding on GNLSA’s recent digital hub) to decrease costs per unit and extend access.
Regional-language and international performances. Finance translation and publication in Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, Jola, among others; establish co-publishing and awards on a Senegambia scale to access neighboring markets—Unesco emphasizes regional market integration as a route for growth.
Market research
Task GNLSA (in collaboration with publishers and booksellers) to issue a yearly market report—registered titles, formats, average prices, library acquisitions—reflecting Unesco’s appeal for data-driven policy
By combining its rich cultural foundation with focused policies, strong metadata, my suggestions and demand led by libraries, The Gambia can seize a bigger portion of Africa’s growing book market. The overarching view of the Unesco report—from $7 billion presently to $18.5 billion through reforms—is feasible on a smaller scale: a Gambian ecosystem where local publishers serve schools, libraries feature Gambian authors in various languages, and digital platforms eliminate the constraints of limited print runs.
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