By Stephen Adeleye
The National Library of Nigeria (NLN), has embarked on awareness campaign drive across the country with a call on school children and youths to have attitudinal change and imbibe reading culture.
The National Liberian/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Chinwe Anunobi, made the call at the 2021 Readership Promotion Campaign, tagged: “Building A Nation Of Readers; Share Your Story”, on Tuesday in Lokoja.
Anunobi said the campaign was aimed at encouraging and reviving the moribund reading culture among Nigerians by promoting availability of good reading materials.
Anunobi, who was Represented by the Head Legal Deposit Department, NLN, Abuja, Mr Idongesit Akpabio, added that the campaign was also to collectively with other stakeholders seek solutions to address identified obstacles to reading habit in Nigeria.
“To achieve these over the years, the NLN has continued to embark on readership promotion campaigns focusing on children and youths in primary and secondary schools by sensitising, informing, and educating them on reading culture.
”The campaigns are also extended to some identified groups in the society, such as the expectant and nursing mothers in maternity homes, workers and travellers in motor parks, inmates in the Correctional centres and rural communities across the country”, he said.
The Head of Kogi Branch of NLN, Mrs Oyiza Agu, said the programme was initiated following the prevailing declination in reading culture in Nigeria,
She added the programme was an annual ritual aimed at promoting reading beyond mere utilization and examination reason.
According to her, it is to support the creation of model reading clubs in Nigeria and empower stakeholders to actively promote reading as well as make Nigeria a reading nation through partnership and collaborations.
“To build a nation of readers, we must share our story to tell people how we are able to succeed to top by reading.
”Like the adage says, a reader is a leader and anyone who reads will be enlightened and knowledgeable about happenings and current information in the society”, Agu said.
In his remarks, the Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Wemi Jones, stressed the need for children in both primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to embrace reading habit.
He stressed that reading culture remained the surest means of developing their knowledge for global information.
Jones, who was represented by a Director in the Ministry, Mr Augustine Omede, admonished the youths to shun much concentration on internet browsing that has less value on their educational attainment.
The commissioner reiterated government’s desire to continue to give education sector topmost priority.
The highlights of the event was a talk on the importance of Liberary/Reading, presented by the Head Kogi Branch of NLN, Agu, followed by the presentation of Certificate of Participation to the school children.
End
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