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Government is seeking to raise some €3 million as it hosts the 2023 edition of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Book Capital programme.

With Accra winning the bid to host the year-long event in September 2021, Ghana is expected to invest in certain projects and activities that will promote a culture of reading among various demographics of the population.

The event is also intended to promote tourism with a focus on the cultural heritage of a chosen city and the nation under the theme, “Reading to Connect Mind for Social Transformation.”

These projects and activities are to be partly financed by the government and through other funding components such as sponsorship and grants.

They include the provision of learning infrastructure, promotion of reading culture, book industry development, art and culture promotion, improving access to information as well as championing fundamental human rights.

Accra is the third city in West Africa to host the event after Port Harcourt and Conakry Guinea.

Mrs Mavis Asante, the Distribution Services Manager of the Ghana Books Development Council (GBDC), gave the information at the Commemoration of the World Book and Copyright Day 2023, held under the theme, “Reading to Develop Minds.”

She noted that Ghana made the first bid to host the event in 2019, which was unsuccessful.

“In December 2020, the concept notes for 2023 were put together and the then-mayor, Mohammed Adjei Sowah announced Accra’s candidature. The bid was submitted at 9 pm on April 15, 2021” she said.

She said that the programme had the objectives of helping the youth develop creative abilities, highlighting the negative effect of substance abuse, sensitising girl-child against teenage pregnancy and raising public awareness of the negative effect of overpopulation caused by rural-urban migration.

Ms Auderey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, in a speech read on her behalf, said books inspired admiration for different cultures as they helped share ideas and experiences.

Books, as symbols of hope and dialogue, she said, must be defended in solidarity with professionals who disseminated literary heritage and build bridges across continents and cultures.

Authors and publishers, she said, were, however, vulnerable as had been shown with a huge drop in sales and revenue with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Despite the importance of books in sustaining social wellbeing, the publishing industry is facing major upheavals, most notably the digital transformation,” she said.

Mr Abdourahamane Diallo, UNESCO Country Head, said Ghana had the opportunity of impacting positively the entire sub-region based on the outcomes of projects to be implemented under the programme.

“UNESCO will be there to support you and Ghanaian cities are also encouraged to join the UNESCO creative cities next tour as these are cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development,” he said.