“This morning, a great man took his final bow. Chief Joop Berkhout, a legend in Nigerian publishing, a man of integrity, wisdom, and boundless energy, has left us. He had his breakfast, called for his pastor to pray for him, and then, just like that, he closed his eyes and departed. A quiet, dignified exit for a man who spent his life in service to knowledge, to people, and to Nigeria,” Dayo Adedayo, renowned author and photographer wrote on Tuesday announcing what truly is the end of an era.
In the intricate world of ink on sheet becoming words Joop Berkhout, a big and consequential player in Nigeria’s domestic publishing scene, shaped the lives of millions through print; his determination, foresight and resilience redefined publishing and can never be forgotten in years to come.
The chronicles of his life unfurl a story rich in lessons, victories, and the indelible marks left on the canvas of Nigeria’s education sector.
In his 94 years on God’s green earth, Joe was known for his ability to identify and seize opportunities, he believed “ Africa was very exciting and had more opportunities” hence his desire to stay having started his colourful journey on the continent from Zambia before being sent to Nigeria by Evans Brothers Publishing. His visions for mastery and strategy turned ideas into working projects which laid a genius foundation for his book publishing company in Nigeria.
“He will be fondly remembered for a very long time by his family, staff, the multitude of lives that he touched for good, his friends and business associates all over the world,” the flier announcing his passing Tuesday read.
Read also: Tinubu mourns Joop Berkhout, hails legacy in Nigerian literature
Born in Amsterdam Netherlands on March 31, 1930, Berkhout from a young age, had begun displaying an insatiable thirst for knowledge, one that would eventually take him far beyond the boundaries of his home country.
In 1966, Berkhout came to Nigeria as a founding Managing Director of Evans Brothers Publishers in what was supposed to be a two-year stay but became a journey that would shape his future in profound ways.
Nigeria in the 1960’s was a nation in the early stage of independence, a great landing space for people who were ready to turn ideas into giant projects.
In 1966, when Berkhout arrived in Nigeria, the country was just a year off encountering a tumultuous political period – the civil war– but this didn’t deter him from accomplishing his goals during his stay in the country.
He understood the true value of hard work, discipline, and the power of knowledge and through it in 1978 established Spectrum Books Ltd. A publishing house that shaped Nigeria’s education sector.
For three decades, Berkhout’s Spectrum Publishers was a publishing dynamo, introducing readers to memorable literary titles such as ‘Emeka’ by Frederick Forsyth – a biography of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu, ‘Nzeogwu’ by Olusegun Obasanjo– former president of Nigeria and ‘The Accidental Public Servant’ by Nasir El-Rufai – former governor of Kaduna State. He also published many important books in the social sciences and humanities.
He had many publications to his credit and also trained several publishers who are doing well in the publishing industry.
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He retired as Chairman of Spectrum Books in September 2008 after having sold the company and was running Safari Books Limited, which was established in 1991.
He had a wealth of experience and deeply understood the lapses and shortcomings of publishing books in contemporary Nigeria and he decried the dying state of Nigeria’s reading culture despite present day evolving technology advancements which have made books easier to access.
He took great pleasure in publishing biographies and autobiographies which was a delight to him as he believed they contained experiences which individuals could learn from.
“He published #TAPS – The Accidental Public Servant in 2013, and was pressing me to update it to include the APC merger leading to 2015 elections,” El-Rufai noted on X, in his first reaction to the Dutchman’s death.
Berkhout lived a colourful life. He was steep in Nigeria’s history.
“He’d acquired the old Cambridge UP house, enshrining it to the memory of its most illustrious occupant, Chris Okigbo. May he Rest in Peace,” Deji Toye an enterprise lawyer who works in publishing said in his tribute to Berkhout.
For his contribution to Nigeria’s education sector, he was awarded a national honour, “Officer of the Order of the Niger” OON. In 1992, he was awarded the chieftaincy title “Okunborode of Ife.”
Outside publishing, he was the immediate past Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Agbarha, Delta State.
Berkhout adopted Nigeria as his home – and lived there for close to 60 years. To him the country was unique and exciting. He spent his life in service to knowledge, to people, and to Nigeria.
“I like the atmosphere, weather and people of Nigeria,” he confessed during an interview with Arise News.
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