Chief Joop Berkhout, Dutch-Nigerian, Doyen of Publishing, Passed on…, By Tola Adeniyi Snr.

The death of Chief Joop Berkhout, a naturalised Nigerian, traditional title holder, the Okunborode of Ile-Ife, and national award holder, OON, has been announced. Born in Amsterdam on March 31st, 1930, he passed away at the age of 94 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Chief Joop Berkhout is regarded as the doyen in the publishing world. He was the founding Managing Director of Evans Brothers in 1967 and went ahead to establish Spectrum Books Ltd in 1978. He retired as Chairman of Spectrum Books in September 2008 and is now running Safari Books Limited, which was established in 1991.

Chief Joop Berkhout has many publications to his credit and has also promoted the Nigerian educational sectors. For his contribution, 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.” He trained several publishers who are doing well in the publishing industry.

He is the immediate past Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Agbarha, Delta State.

Tribute have started pouring in on the passing of Cheif Berkhout, Professor Okey Ndibe wrote, … “the passing of Joop Berkhourt, a big and consequential player in Nigeria’s domestic publishing scene. For three decades, Berkhout’s Spectrum Publishers was a publishing dynamo, introducing readers to memorable literary titles as well as important books in the social sciences and humanities. He also steered Evans Publishers and his most recent venture, Safari Books.

Originally Dutch, Berkhout adopted Nigeria as his home—and lived there for close to 60 years.In 2017, I had the honor of visiting the publisher at his residence in Ibadan. A gregarious man who relished the company of writers, intellectuals and book people, he hosted a sumptuous lunch for a group that included the poet Niyi Osundare and the publisher Bankole Olayebi. I was fascinated to learn that the late poet-extraordinaire, Christopher Okigbo, had once lived in the tastefully designed home.May Berkhout’s legacy endure, and may his soul find peace.”

Also renowned author and photographer, Dayo Adedayo said… “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.

At 90 years old, Baba was still working, still thinking, still selling books like no one else could. He was the best marketer I have ever met, a man whose passion for the written word was unparalleled. When I released Nigeria 2.0, he embraced it like his own, selling it with such commitment that I knew he wasn’t just a publisher, he was a man who truly believed in stories, in history, in the power of documentation. That book brought us closer, and from that moment on, we were more than just business associates, we became family.He was compassionate, kind, and full of wisdom. Chief Joop knew Nigeria’s history like the back of his hand. Not just the events, but the people, the decisions, the nuances that shaped the nation. If you ever needed a lesson in contemporary Nigerian history, you didn’t need to look further than him.

He carried the knowledge of generations, a walking encyclopedia of Nigeria’s past and present.And he wasn’t just about history; he was about people. No matter where you came from, he made time for you. If he came to Lagos from his Ibadan base, he would always stop by to see me, to share thoughts, to discuss books, life, and everything in between. There was nothing we didn’t talk about, from politics to culture, from Nigeria’s past to its future. Conversations with him were rich, deep, and full of laughter.”