The National Library of Nigeria (NLN) has embarked on awareness campaign drive across the country with a call on school children and youth to have attitudinal change and imbibe reading culture.
The National Liberian/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Chinwe Anunobi, Thursday made the call at the 2021 Readership Promotion Campaign, tagged: “Building A Nation Of Readers; Share Your Story”, in Lokoja.
She 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, Ms. Idongesct 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 youth 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 travelers in motor parks, inmates in the correctional centres and rural communities across the country,” she 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, adding that the programme was an annual ritual aimed at promoting reading beyond mere utilisation and examination reason.
She said 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.
In his remarks, the Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Wemi Jones, represented by a director in the ministry, Mr Augustine Omede, stated the need for children in both primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to embrace reading habit.
He added that reading culture remain the surest means of developing their knowledge for global information.
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.
