New York, 12 Jul - (ANA) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)  has selected Nigerian city of Port Harcourt as the 2014 World Book Capital. “I extend my congratulations to the city of Port Harcourt for the quality of its  proposed programme, which provides for extensive public participation and aims  to develop reading for all,” said UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova.

UNESCO chose Port Harcourt for the quality of the programme it presented which focused on youth and the impact it  will have on improving Nigeria’s culture of books, reading, writing and publishing to improve literacy rates.

The selection committee brings together associations in the book industry – the International  Publishers Association, the International Booksellers Federation and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions – as well as representatives from the culture agency. Each year, the committee bestows the title of World Book Capital to a city which  has committed itself to promoting books and reading, and to highlight the vitality of literary creativity. The nomination does not imply any financial prize, but it is an exclusively symbolic acknowledgement of the best programme dedicated to books and reading, UNESCO said. (ANA)

FA/ANA/12 July 2012-------------