Bibi Bakare-Yusuf by Jeremy Weate

When Bibi Bakare-Yusuf and her husband, Jeremy Weate, set up Cassava Republic, the Nigerian publishing industry was in pretty bad shape. They had little or no financial backing and had to put up with the difficulties of finding places to do high-quality printing. They were essentially trying to sell books in place where there was no working distribution network.

That was in 2006. After publishing everyone from Teju Cole to Mukoma wa Ngugi, Cassava Republic has earned its place as one of the top presses in Africa.

Watch the video of the ever vivacious and ridiculously smart and articulate Bibi Bakare-Yusuf talk about why Africa so badly needs to take charge of its “intellectual production” machinery.

 

Image via Jeremy Weate

Cassava Republic Press from jolyon hoff on Vimeo.