Chairman, Safari Books Limited, Chief Joop Berkhout, OON, a 90-year-old Dutchman, who has lived in Nigeria for 54 years, shares his life experiences in Holland and Nigeria with SIMON UTEBOR
You are a Dutchman who has lived in Ibadan, Oyo State for 54 years, how was your upbringing?
I was born on Monday, March 31, 1930 in Amsterdam, Holland. I am the last child of my parents who were devout Catholics. When I was four years old, my parents relocated from Amsterdam to IJmuiden. The relocation became inevitable due to my father’s dwindling hotel business and the great depression of the 1930s that significantly affected what was left of the business in Amsterdam.
I was educated at St. Lucia Primary School, Haarlem from 1937 to 1943 and proceeded to St. Jeroen Secondary School, also in Haarlem, for my secondary education from 1943 to 1948. The latter part of my primary education and the early parts of my secondary education coincided with the Second World War (September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945). Although the war did not get to our door in Holland until I was 10 years old, it had adverse effects on my family. Holland shares borders with Germany, one of the leading sides in the second war, and at a certain stage, German forces occupied Dutch territory.
As a child then, what was your experience?
I remember that to avoid being hit, my mother instructed us that anytime we heard the sound of a plane, we were to take cover in the kitchen and lie on the floor until the coast was clear. Due to incessant impacts, some of the window frames of our house were shattered and we had to bind them together while also blackening them to avoid being targeted and bombed. Hunger and privation set in on us during the war. Since people could not go to work to earn income, economic activities became very minimal and goods were sold at a high price. As a result, meals had to be rationed between members of my family. I could recollect my siblings and I back then holding our buckets, waiting to collect our portion of soup.
Few occasional respites came from humanitarian agencies that flew planes across our territory. As they flew across, they would drop loaves of bread and every one of us would scamper to get as many as possible and keep them secure, only to be brought out for gradual consumption.
Did the war affect your higher education?
I was a war victim. I finished my secondary education. I didn’t go for higher education. I started working. Many of the young generation left the Netherlands, they went to Africa, Australia and some other countries. Some of my families lived in Australia, some lived in Zimbabwe, some lived in South Africa and I decided to go to Tanzania. From Tanzania, I went to Zambia and from Zambia, I came to Nigeria.
How many African countries have you been to?
I have visited many African countries. I like visiting and I love Africa. I worked in Tanzania, I worked in Kenya and I worked in Zambia. I worked in Malawi before I came here (Nigeria).
In those places you worked in Africa, what did you observe?
The world is one place. First I worked for a bookshop. With the news of my achievements in book selling in Tanzania, Oxford University Press where I did my initial training, contacted me about the possibility of being their manager in Lusaka, Zambia. I accepted their offer and left Tanzania for Zambia. My time in Tanzania was historic as I gave birth to three of my children in that country. I served as the Manager of Oxford University Press, Zambia from 1964 to 1966 before I got a letter of transfer to Nigeria as Manager.
On the evening of the day I got a letter of transfer to Nigeria from Oxford, another letter came from Evans Brothers Publishers offering me a contract job as the pioneer General Manager of their company in Nigeria. Evans was headquartered in the UK but they had a booming interest in Nigeria and needed someone who could help them consolidate and expand their market in Nigeria. When I got home, I discussed the letters with my wife and we opted for Evans Brothers’ offer that had more incentives. I then joined Evans in Nigeria in 1966. After 10 years of working with Evans, I was promoted to be the Marketing Director of Evans UK. That meant I was to relocate to the UK. I did initially but because I didn’t fancy the working environment there, I decided to resign and come back to Nigeria to co-found Spectrum Books Limited in 1978. From a humble beginning, I piloted the affairs of Spectrums Book Limited to making it a major force in the publishing industry today.
In 2008, at the age of 78 and after 30 years in charge, I felt the need to retire, so I sold Spectrum Books Limited with
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