The Commissioner representing Cross River State at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Orok Duke, has called on the Federal Government to reduce or eliminate import duties on books and printing equipment to make reading materials more affordable.

Duke made the appeal during the public presentation of five books he authored, collectively titled Readings II, in Abuja.

The books are Welcome to Uyo, Treasures, Whororoing, Dances on the Plains and Oluchi’s Journey.

He expressed concern that the high cost of printing and publishing books abroad, alongside import duties on books and printing equipment, was discouraging writers and limiting access to affordable reading materials.

According to him, publishing a book outside Nigeria could cost at least 20 dollars per copy, making it difficult for students and other readers to purchase books.

The former Deputy Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly recalled when bookshops such as Ife and Abiola made books more accessible to Nigerians through affordable publications.

He said the decline in the availability of affordable books had contributed to difficulties in sustaining the country's reading culture.

Duke urged the government to review import duties and introduce measures that would support local publishers, reduce production expenses and encourage wider access to books.

He also disclosed that electronic versions of his publications were available online for download and purchase in naira.

Beyond the publishing industry, the commissioner urged Nigerians to document their personal and collective histories, warning that failure to preserve their stories could allow others to define their past.

He explained that he chose to write in English to reach a wider international audience.

Speaking at the event, former delegate to the 2014 National Conference, Nasir Kura, said Duke's books documented aspects of the Nigerian Civil War and the cultural heritage of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.

The books were reviewed by poet Ismail Bala and Professor Effiong Johnson of the University of Calabar, who described the author as a storyteller and researcher.

Former Cross River South Senator Gershom Bassey unveiled the publications, while Senator Eteng Williams, representing Cross River Central, attended on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.