Stories and facts
Established on March 10, 1976, the Ghana Publishers Association (GPA) officially emerged as a registered non-governmental organization sanctioned by the Registrar-General’s Department.
The pioneering executives and founding publishing houses included Mr. Courage Kwami Segbawu (Sedco Publishing Ltd), Mr. N. Adzakey (Ghana Universities Press), Mr. Abdul Brown (Ghana Publishing Corporation), Mr. Kwesi Sam-Woode (Afram Publications (Gh) Ltd.), Mr. Benibengor Blay (Benibengor Book Agency), and Mr. Mark Botsio (Ringway Press). Mr. Courage Kwami Segbawu, the founder of Sedco Publishing Ltd, assumed the mantle of the first President of the Association.
The genesis of the Ghana Publishers Association traces back to 1973 when its membership primarily comprised local representatives of overseas, predominantly British publishing conglomerates.
However, with the emergence of well-organized indigenous publishing houses, the status of the overseas publishers’ representatives as publishers became ambiguous, leading to misunderstandings and dwindling interest in the Association.
In 1976, during Acheampong’s regime, a policy mandated that all foreign publishing and printing houses must be led by Ghanaians. Consequently, several foreign publishing firms underwent conversion into local publishing firms, presenting the Association with a challenge in terms of organized membership.
In response, the Ghana Book Development Council (GBDC) conducted research into the Association's background and proposed recommendations for its reorganization on a solid foundation. This initiative transpired in the first half of 1977.
On April 10, 1978, a new constitution for the GPA was ratified, and officers and members of the Association’s Executive Council were elected. With the adoption of this new constitution, the Association’s name transitioned from the Ghana Publishers Association (GPA) to the Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA). Since its inception, the Ghana Publishers Association has witnessed a succession of Presidents supported by other Council members, jointly making decisions for implementation by the Secretariat.
