No fewer than 3,875 copies of books valued at over N12.5 million have been donated to the Ondo State Government by the University Press Plc as part of efforts to further raise the standard of education in the state.

While handing over the books to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa at the Governor’s Office in Akure, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Kolawole, said the company has enjoyed a cordial and mutually beneficial relationship with the people and government of the state over the years.

Kolawole, who traced the company’s history to 1949, when it was established as the Nigerian branch of Oxford University Press, United Kingdom, lamented the challenges posed by piracy to publishers.

According to him, efforts are underway to tackle the menace, and he stressed that the Nigerian Copyright Commission should endeavour to rise to the occasion.

“It is one of the things we do at University Press PLC. We believe that in any environment where we are and where we are succeeding, as part of the stakeholder approach to our business, we should give back to that society and that community.

“So this is part of our corporate social responsibility. We are book publishers. We have a presence in Ondo State, and we have benefited from this state. We feel that we should give back to the people of this state.

“So that is what we have come to do, to give back to the state by donating books worth over 12 million Naira, over 3,000 copies, to the libraries of public schools in Ondo State.”

On his part, Aiyedatiwa stated that the state had benefited from the patronage of University Press Plc, noting that it had consistently purchased and recommended the company’s books at both state and national levels.

According to the governor, the provision of educational materials for pupils and students from primary to secondary school is critical to human capital development, particularly in a modern, knowledge-driven economy.

He said major economies of the world are powered by knowledge built on education, technology and skills, and added that University Press Plc was already making a meaningful contribution to education and human capital development.

Aiyedatiwa commended the company for focusing on producing educational materials for foundational levels rather than concentrating solely on high-profile publications.

He described the relationship between the Ondo State Government and University Press Plc as mutually beneficial, noting that while the state patronises the company’s products, the company reciprocates through such support.