The Nation Newspaper

Tag: reading

  • Children urged on reading

    Children should imbibe the culture of reading to have a secured future, experts have said.

    They spoke at the maiden edition of the community reading programme organised by Renaissance Africa in Lagos.

    Some of the books read to the children include: ‘Without a silver spoon’ by Eddie Iroh and ‘Finding purpose for kids’ by Abayomi Oyelami.

    One of the guests, who read from the books, Dupe Noma, said the gesture was to teach children how to read, get them impacted and made them understand the need to read for future purpose asides examination.

    She said: “You don’t just read when you have exams; you could also read for future purposes. When you imbibe the reading culture, you would be able to impact others.”

    She urged the government to encourage, support and sponsor the programme.

    Its convener, Mr. Abayomi Oyelami, said the gesture was borne out of the desire for children to develop hunger for reading. This, he said, was critical to building a well-rounded life and career.

    He noted that the disposition of children that reading was a thing to be done in the school should stop.

    “Children must not read with the idea that they don’t want to fail. They must read in and out of exams; that is the only way the future of our community could be guaranteed,” he said.

    Oyelami called for sponsorship from individuals, corporate organisations and government agencies.

    The Baale of Keke-Agege, High Chief Liadi Idowu Ajagunna, advised children to emphasise  education.

  • Heritage Bank promotes reading culture in schools

    Heritage Bank promotes reading culture in schools

    Heritage Bank Plc joined in celebrating the “World Book Day” by means of implementing one of its literacy initiatives and donation of books to schools.

    The bank has decided to lend its support to the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading in its 20th year, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world for children of all ages to come together to appreciate reading.

    However, as part of effort to inculcate the culture of reading books amongst children, Heritage Bank donated a total of 16,340 comic books, dispatched to 84 schools via Experience Centers, while investing in exciting edutainment activities for school communities.

    The bank recently launched, “The protector’s” a comic series book to commemorate Children’s day. The super-heroes of the series, HK-1 and HK-2 will be touring schools this year to win allies to fight against the evil Gus D Ville.

    Also, other activities involve the first inter school quiz commenced in last year December, with 20 winners emerging from various schools.

    The Financial Literacy Holiday Workshop, as the highlights of the workshop to mark the maiden edition, which include financial literacy coaching presentation skills, creative writing, practical sessions, movie outing and other exciting treats.

  • The reading challenge

    During the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS)was launched as the administration’s roadmap to a private sector-driven economy. The noise was heavy and most Nigerians knew about it. So it was shocking when a ministerial nominee didn’t know what it stands for. The nominee – an economist – said NEEDS meant the difference between human needs and human wants! Expectedly, he failed the screening.

    What did that amazing screening process tell us? It tells us in very clear terms that many people in high offices do not read and are uninformed about happenings around them. Yet they are decision-makers, and many of them confidently pontificate ill-digested concepts they want to impose on the society, mainly ideas already overtaken by current knowledge.

    It was against this background that I read Pius Adesanmi’s article “A Nigerian, Library and Lawmakers” in Sahara Reporters on Christmas Eve; and what a nice read it was. Adesanmi’s argument is that Nigerian politicians, unlike their counterparts in Canada, do not read. They don’t do research either. Nigerian legislators don’t make use of libraries either for research or for any other purpose. Most even employ aides to read and analyse issues for them. They hardly read the tacky statements issued on their behalf until it becomes controversial. Beyond the politicians however, there’s no doubt that the lack of reading has become a national problem.

    There is, therefore, the urgent need to make conscious efforts to return our citizenry to reading. We must re-ignite interest in the search for knowledge over the race for material acquisitions which is what engages most Nigerians. Those who cannot read should not lead. Those who cannot read, cannot write because there is no knowledge to pass on to others, and no intellectual springboard with which to transmit it. No road to proper and all-round knowledge excludes a good reading culture, notwithstanding whether the material is in soft (electronic) or hard copy.

    Today, it is hardly surprising that we have a generation of youths that detest reading; be it newspapers, magazines or novels, or even the textbooks prescribed for their school subjects! Instead, they prefer to spend much of their time browsing irrelevant websites on the internet or watching meaningless films on television. Don’t get me wrong; browsing the internet is very useful if one goes to useful sites. We all know it is however full of distracting and even destructive websites like sites that lure young and fertile minds towards terrorism.

    Why do most people detest reading? Different factors contributed to the decline among Nigerians. Economic factors, for instance, makes it difficult for some to personally buy books while some see books a “irrelevant” in the “rapidly changing world” as someone told me recently. I simply told him to compare the “rapidly changing world” with the past and tell me which was more stable and better. Taking him down memory lane, I revealed that even during the Native Authorities era “reading rooms” were established in local communities to encourage reading, but they’re are now extinct.

    Local government authorities of today fail to recognise the significance of reading rooms and libraries to individual and societal development. All they’re concerned about is how to get their monthly allocations and share it without undertaking projects that has direct bearing on the welfare of the people. Even where public libraries exist, they are stocked with outdated and unattractive reading materials.

    Millions of naira has been spent on the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) Virtual Library Project (VLP) that was launched in 2001; and since no one appears to be looking in that direction nothing substantial is there to show for the huge sums spent.

    For the records, VLP was launched to bolster the quality of learning and research in Nigerian schools through the e-books that the project aimed to provide. VLP was abandoned soon after it was launched, but in 2012 the NUC injected N500m into the project.

    The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) also has a Book Development Fund while the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has a project to revive reading culture. Both have however not yet made the desired impact though funds are expended every year. Again, do Nigerians care about reading to ask what is happening there? It is perhaps another avenue where “idle” funds are “utilised.”

    Knowledge – as the popular saying goes – is power. Those who are blindly chasing money today – and they are in the majority – would one day discover that those who pursued knowledge through close contact with books would eventually decide what happens to society.

    Because of our disdain for knowledge – which books largely impart – we are gradually losing, some say we have already lost, our sense of critical thinking. Most of us simply swallow hook, line and sinker whatever the government, religious, economic or business leaders say without critically interrogating them. Should we always believe what they say without subjecting same to logical reasoning? Why are we often scared to gun for the best? Why do we celebrate mediocrity? And why are our institutions of higher learning not encouraging critical thinking?

    Socrates, it was who set the agenda for the tradition of critical thinking. Simply put, it is to reflectively question common beliefs and explanations, carefully distinguishing those beliefs that are reasonable and logical from those which – however appealing they may be to our native egocentrism, however much they serve our vested interests, however comfortable or comforting they may be – lack adequate evidence or rational foundation to warrant our belief.

    Socrates’ practice was followed by the critical thinking of Plato (who recorded Socrates’ thought), Aristotle, and the Greek skeptics, all of who emphasised that things are often very different from what they appear to be and that only the trained mind is prepared to see through the way things look to us on the surface (delusive appearances) to the way they really are beneath the surface (the deeper realities of life).

    From this ancient Greek tradition emerged the need, for anyone who aspires to understand the deeper realities, to think systematically, to trace implications broadly and deeply, for only thinking that is comprehensive, well-reasoned, and responsive to objections can take us beyond the surface. Can anyone question the fact that we need deep thinking in Nigeria?

    Francis Bacon, in England, was explicitly concerned with the way we misuse our minds in seeking knowledge. He recognised explicitly that the mind cannot safely be left to its natural tendencies. In his book, “The Advancement of Learning,” he argued for the importance of studying the world empirically. He laid the foundation for modern science with his emphasis on the information-gathering processes. He also called attention to the fact that most people, if left to their own devices, develop bad habits of thought (which he called “idols”) that lead them to believe what is false or misleading.

    He called attention to “Idols of the tribe” (the ways our mind naturally tends to trick itself), “Idols of the market-place” (the ways we misuse words), “Idols of the theater” (our tendency to become trapped in conventional systems of thought) and “Idols of the schools” (the problems in thinking when based on blind rules and poor instruction). His book could be considered one of the earliest texts in critical thinking, for his agenda was very much the traditional agenda of critical thinking.

    Moving forward, parents should play a role by providing relevant reading materials such as story books with fascinating content to the age and psychological needs of their children. Monitoring the number of hours spent by children watching films on television or playing video games may also create more reading time for children. Universities, schools, National Library of Nigeria as well as the state library boards should all equip their existing libraries with relevant materials that cater for the interest of all categories of readers.

    In communities where libraries do not exist, local government authorities should at least provide a reading room. Societal progress is not possible with our poor reading culture. In this new year, I encourage every literate Nigerian to take the reading challenge and read at least one book every week.

  • Expert decries poor library services, reading culture

    Expert decries poor library services, reading culture

    The Principal Librarian of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prince Sunday Olurotimi Obadare, has described the current poor reading culture among Nigerians as worrisome. He said the ugly situation needed to be addressed urgently.

    In a chat with Southwest Report, Obadare, who is also the National Vice-President of Nigeria Library Association (NLA), noted that he was not comfortable with library services in the country, saying that the situation is not pleasant.

    According to him, despite the country’s huge population, government has not recognised the role library services could play in the country’s development. He regretted that the National Library Headquarters located in Abuja is currently operating in a rented apartment.

    “This indicates that the state of library services in Nigeria is so poor. There is need for government to declare national emergency in the area of library services so that the Federal Government would be alive to its responsibilities. The same thing applies to libraries in the state and local government areas across the country.”

    The librarian pointed out that private individuals needed to be encouraged to partner with government in salvaging the situation so that there could be enough libraries in the country. This will be a stepping stone for our national development.

    “The country is in a critical situation in the area of provision of library services. Members of the association are ready to assist the government in this area but the government has to make certain facilities and infrastructure available for the establishment of more libraries. “Though, it is capital intensive, government needed to take the bull by the horn while members of the association and public can assist in the provision of the all-important services to the people,” he said.

    He regretted that Nigerians are no longer reading due to laziness, noting that reading has to do with people who are very serious and determined to add value to their lives through reading.

    “Nigerians are no longer reading. They want to delve much into something that attracts little concentration and attention. They like to watch television; they like to do all those frivolities rather than reading. But when they read, they get the information they need to better their lives. But people are not reading,” he added.

    While blaming government at all levels for not providing adequate library services, Obadare  argued: “People don’t want to trek far from their houses before they get to the library and the books needed have to be available as well as other materials. Also, there must be in place such an environment that is conducive to reading. When all these are in place in  the neighbourhood, people would be encouraged to read.

    “In South Africa, you have libraries in all the neighbourhoods. Every community has its libraries and you only need to walk across to access the library. But in Nigeria, you have to travel far before you can get one. This is not encouraging at all.

    “That was why we are calling for national emergency. Once one has a library within one’s community, one will be encouraged to read and do research. You can read for pleasure, you can read to obtain knowledge and some other things,” he said.

    While explaining the importance of library to national development, Obadare argued that government has to budget huge funds for library service if the nation would attain the much-needed development.

    “In those days, all the principals and other retired education officers used to write books but it is no longer so. People are not reading, people are not writing and books are not published. When you work for about 35 years, all the experiences one had gathered, one have to write  and document one’s experiences and ideas in book form so that others can read about them. But people are not doing that again,” he noted.

    He lamented that even if the services are available; people are not ready to read in order to be better informed.

    “The truth is that people are no longer reading and most of their times are wasted on irrelevant things that may not add value to their lives,” he said.

    He further explained that the association is not folding its arms on this crisis. It is rather looking for a way to solve the problem.

    “Our association is looking into that and TETfund has come to the rescue. But its contributions are not enough. Tertiary institutions are supposed to earmark 10 per cent of their total budget for library development; but they are not doing that. It is a critical problem that must be addressed.

    “In terms of maintenance, we are encouraging communities to have library of their own to complement the efforts of the government. We are also working on a project that will encourage rich individuals to establish and maintain libraries in memory of their parents and members of Nigeria Library Association (NLA) can assist them to operate the library in their communities, so that we can have it in all the nook and cranny of the country.

    “We are encouraging private individual to come to our aid. There is also the need to call on all the traditional rulers to have libraries; private individuals are supposed to have libraries in their homes in order to assist and complement the efforts of government. But majorly, government has to put in place policies that will favour establishment of libraries in all the nook and cranny of the country,” he said.

    To complement the efforts of government in the provision of library services, he revealed that there is a pet project he had embarked upon. Tagged “Private Library Project (PLP)”, it allows wealthy individuals to establish private libraries in different parts of the country in memory of their loved ones or in their own names. The donors will fund the projects as well as be responsibile for their sustainability while the operations of the libraries will be greatly assisted by the Nigerian Library Association in the various states of the country where the private libraries are located. The library will be opened to the public, even as the donor controls the library.

    Obadare, who emphasised the importance of library in national development, said “library is about research and research is very important for the nation to grow and develop.”

  • On decadence in reading culture

    SIR: As an avid reader and true lover of a serene reading environment, I had traversed most libraries only to find to my utmost dismay the unspeakable level of disorganization and disquietude. These are not just indices of slothfulness and inadequate commitment to intellectualism but a true show of our unpreparedness to take the centre stage on the global front. The obsoleteness and outdated volumes of books, periodicals, and research records replete in our libraries are definitely beyond talk now. You can call to reason the fate of a final year secondary school student preparing for the duo of certificate and university entry examinations in a remote village who does not have access to revised and improved texts. Yet he is expected to score well (if not better than the privileged elite). I was once a victim of this circumstance but fate had it that I made it to the university where I was re-routed from that downward spiral.

    What about my friends who couldn’t make it beyond these limitations? What await them in the nearest future when nature’s call of responsibility fall on their shoulders unprepared?

    In the Universities where there should be reprieve in some form, one find issues ranging from leaking roofs, to terrible seats, congested libraries, little or no leg room, and ultimately a non-committal effort by the university management cum authorities to better the lot of  expedient facility. Money would rather be spent on trivial infrastructural upgrades while the library is left as an eyesore to both divinity and humanity. I recently paid a visit to one library in a sub-urban area, and found the rusty public library situated below a church building, directly adjacent to a Petrol station and opposite a market! These attributes indubitably precludes the possibility of serenity in this environment. Reading not only develops the mind but expands one’s thought pattern and there is no squabble about this.

    How can there be positively stimulated growth when the right channel for it rapidly degenerates at an unimaginable rate under our watch? And how much meaningful and societal contributions can be made by the youths when their fathers who enjoyed British-styled libraries and state-of-the-art utilities play mute to these degenerative changes with no solution to proffer? These and many more questions demand an answer rather than verbal affirmatives and rhetoric, solutions should be action-centered.

    In an article managing the library and archive environment, Jan Henderson aptly highlights the importance of the organization of a library environment thus; “knowing the environmental conditions in a library or archive is essential for planning the best strategy for the preservation of collections and for targeting resources effectively”. These well written words, highlight the mood of the writer to a great degree and should form the basis of any counter-attacking measure embarked upon to stem this rot. It is unarguably true that the developed society hinged its development on positives like research. Now, how can research be carried out if the facilities to house it is a victim of neglect gone rampage?

    From  the city of Nnewi emerges the OneStop Bookshop and free access library built by Tobe Osigwe (a graduate of the University of Nigeria Nsukka) to help contribute to the rejuvenation of the reading culture in an academically decadent society. This act of unparallel magnanimity captures the gap in goodwill among the privileged few. Tobe, in his quest for a better reading condition in a largely commercial society, has shown the need for our books to be stored and kept in aesthetic conditions to facilitate reading, research and relevance. Despite the government’s age-long unrepentant neglect for public utilities, how do we complement this effort in our various domiciles? The panacea remains setting up private enterprises just like the OneStop library to mitigate the crippling effect of bibliophobia as it plays no mean role at all in destroying the tendrils of growth in any society. This is actually a workable alternative to the exaggerated claims of privatization that has never failed to put dashed hopes beyond repair.

     

    • Ogbonna Joshua Kelechukwu,

    Nnewi, Anambra State.

  • Reading against depression

    Nigerians were sensitised to the dangers of the scourge of depression recently as an author, Vivian Ikem, blew the whistle on it. She raised this awareness at a special reading from her book, “Shadows in the Mirror: The many Faces of Depression”, at the Quintessence Gallery in Ikoyi, Lagos.

    Having experienced a bout of depression herself, Ikem said that depression is so deadly that one in five people are likely to suffer from it without knowing. She also urged against intolerant conduct towards people who complain about depression because it is as well a medical condition as malaria or typhoid.

    She said: “Ignorance is killing way too many people. Everyone is prone to depression. All it takes is a little trigger. We need to speak out now, without having to wait for it to get bad. We should enlighten people before they end up in the psychiatric ward.”

    While the book reading took on a congenial and jovial bearing, nuggets of informative material prevalently seeped forth from the speakers, including a psychiatric doctor, Ayomide Adebayo, who declaimed extensively on where and how help can be rendered to people suffering from depression at all levels.

    Adebayo rued the reality that people tend to keep mum about issues of suicide instead of tackling the issue and campaigning against depression. He said: “How come people don’t talk about depression? In a statistical situation where one in five people are suffering from depression in one form or the other, it is almost certain that you know at least one person suffering from it. How come you don’t know who they are?”

    He also noted that depression is currently rated as the second most widespread burden disease and is pitched to top that ignominious list by 2020. He explained further that burden diseases are those which impede maximum functionality of individuals in whatever endeavours they pursue.

    He added that the irony was that treatment for depression was not as arduous as many people were given to assume, especially seeing as the drugs usually prescribed for the treatment of depression are cheap and easily affordable.

    The treatment begins with every individual, the practitioner explained. To complement this, Ikem urged individuals to be tolerant and approachable to their friends and anyone who they perceive is depressed. She said: “It takes us going out of our ways to help people. Oftentimes, it is until the damage has been done that people start singing. The important question is what you do when you notice someone in that situation.”

  • Reading made difficult

    The federal Capital Territory (FCT) has a few things to charm anyone, but a good library is not one of them. Libraries are few, and, where available, derelict, poorly run and woefully equipped.

    Does this underscore the insignificant taste in reading, a development much lamented?

    A visitor to Abuja in need of a quiet place to read will have considerable difficulty locating an adequate and convenient place. The National Library is a normal and familiar name in Abuja and the visitor may assume it as good and accessible as it is famous.

    Its headquarters is simply an administrative structure, where you will be redirected to the Library in Area Two which boasts old structures.

    Wait for the worst part. There is no charging point for your laptop. The few points available for use to the public are either not working or have been disconnected. There are sufficient sockets in the cyber-cafe in the building but the visitor is not allow ed to use them.

    Why?

    A staff of the library who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that they disconnected the charging ports because people use their laptops to watch porn.

    “They come here to watch pornographic movies, instead of reading,” he said. “If you must use your laptop here, you must come with it already charged and ones it dies, you go home.

    Why some people will decide to watch such movies in public and whether the management of the library has the right to dictate to adults what they must do with their laptops is yet to be known but residents of Abuja who decide to use the library and work from their laptops will have to decide if they are satisfied with working in the limited time their computers will allow.

    The British Council building used to have a well equipped library open to the public but in recent years, it has been shut down and residents have to make do with alternatives.

    Unbeknown to many, the ECOWAS building also houses a public library but the security checks and ebola screening processes at the gate are enough to discourage anyone. The fact that this library is mainly a research library staff ready to provide researchers’ needs also makes it a bit difficult for people to regularly make the ECOWAS library a regular base.

    A final year university student Kemi Adetola conducting research for her project, spoke with Abuja review.

    She said, “I have been visiting the library for the past week and I am really impressed by the progress that I have made so far, most of the materials that I never believed I could get, I found them all.”

    The City library in Wuse zone four although may not have so many current books and most of the few shelves are almost empty or filled with old and dilapidated books, it is one of the most efficient libraries that residents of Abuja can rely on. Residents choose between registering for either six months or a year and are required to pay the sum of N2000. The city library of all the other libraries attract a great number of people, not less that eighty people come to read in this library everyday and to most of them, it is more convenient to read at the library because not only is it open from morning to six pm every day of the week, but it is also open on Saturdays until 2pm, a staff of the library who spoke with Abuja review on the condition of anonymity said that the library is mostly used by students preparing for different examinations.

    ”It is in this place that I know that Nigerians can read, some people come here to read in the morning and do not leave till closing time, so many people pass through this door everyday in need of a quite place to read. We try to maintain a quite environment here and we have enough space to accommodate a lot of people so it attracts so many people.”

    It won’t hurt to tempt readers with libraries worth the name in the federal capital.

     

  • BON kicks off awards with reading

    BON kicks off awards with reading

    AFTER months of preparation, organisers of the annual Best of Nollywood Awards have announced the kickoff of its 2015 edition with a pre-event ceremony tagged BON Reading. The event is billed to hold on Sunday, October 4, at the Ondo State Government House.

    “We are pleased to announce that BON Reading 2015 will hold on Sunday inside the government house. The wife Of the Ondo State Governor Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko will be playing host to a constellation of Nollywood stars that will be visiting the state to inspire to the kids through reading a pre- selected texted book to their listening pleasure. We look forward to a great evening with her Excellency,” convener of the awards, Seun Olotukeyi, stated.

    Among Nollywood stars expected at the event are Chelsea Eze, Seun Akindele, Moyo Lawal, Muyiwa Ademola, Ayo Adesanya, Mimi Orijekwe and others.

  • US Consulate holds Reading Express for children

    US Consulate holds Reading Express for children

    The Barack Obama American Corner has engaged pupils between five and 12 in a month-long summer reading programme called the Summer Reading Express at the Ovie House, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The occasion, the fourth in the series, was to encourage pupils to pick up and develop a healthy reading habit, the Coordinator, Lois Ekeleme, said.

    At the close of the event, Acting Public Affairs Officer for the United States’ Consulate-General, Lagos, Kathy Bondy, read from the book: Engineering Elephants to the children.

    Aunty Kathy, as she was fondly called by the pupils, said she chose the book due to the focus of the United States on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education and the need to spread its awareness, across the world, especially to female children.

    She advised parents to read to their children often to build up their reading culture.

    “We think that, particularly, STEM education is very important, so we focus on science, technology, engineering and maths, particularly, for young girls and women. But we want everyone to be learning whatever subject they choose. So that is why, today, I read a story about engineering. It is always a great idea to read to your children. You can read to them a great story or a newspaper, or even small stories like the one I just read and do this in an engaged way. So if you can read to them before you go to sleep at night, or during your break during the day, it is a great way to spend time with your children and have a focus on family time,” she said.

    For Ekeleme, guiding the children through their books had been an enjoyable task.

    She said the children, who were engaged in activities, which cut across reading, writing and arts and craft, had recorded improvements in their reading abilities during the programme.

    Lois said getting a child to read  involved engaging the child in a personal, interactive manner.

    She said: “A lot of children think that reading is boring but if you make reading fun, then the children are willing to participate and read; and if you use books that are age sensitive and that they can relate with culturally, then you see that the children are willing to read with you. Besides, you know the way we teach in school today, we just read comprehension and sometimes, that can be boring so when you read to them in tiny groups of six or seven, you would see that you are able to engage with them and vice versa. They would ask questions and you would understand each other better, which you would not achieve in class.”

    She expressed dissatisfaction with the increasing disinterest of pupils in reading, calling for society to intervene.

    One of the participants, a 10-year- old Sherifat Ibrahim of Kuramo Primary School, Victoria Island, said she looked forward to the reading programme, because of the interesting and inspiring stories they were told.

    Another pupil, nine-year-old Happiness John from the same school, said she would love to be an engineer so that she could manufacture surf boards.

    Happiness described Aunty Kathy as nice, saying: “She read to us in a way that we understood and taught us what engineering is all about as well as what to do to be an engineer.”

  • Why reading matters

    Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers – Charles W. Elio

    Three years ago, I went to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Ojodu/Berger office in Lagos to renew my national drivers licence. After delivering a short lecture on safe driving rules and car maintenance, the official who took us through the lecture appealed to us to help pass the message that the commission has more than 10 centres spread across Lagos for Nigerians to renew their licences.

    He said he was compelled to seek our help in passing on the message because of the huge crowd the office had to contend with on a daily basis when other centres barely have patronages. “Why don’t you advertise in newspapers for Nigerians to know this?” Someone asked the official. “We have done that severally, but we discovered that Nigerians don’t read that is why we are appealing to you to help pass the message around,” the official said.

    When the “Bring Back the Book Campaign” was launched with fanfare in Lagos in December 2010 most Nigerians rallied round former President Goodluck Jonathan who appeared to be bent on halting the disdain that – many people believe – the typical Nigerian leader has for books and other intellectual materials.

    To convince Nigerians that the campaign was not a political fluke aimed at scoring cheap publicity and endorsement for his regime, Jonathan secured the confidence of the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and other leading lights in the sector for the cause to revitalise the book industry and our reading culture.

    At the inauguration of the project, Jonathan and Soyinka read passages from some books to pupils and other lovers of books. It was a spectacle of cultural, musical and oratorical performances, all for the sake of the book.

    Spearheaded by the late Special Adviser to the former President on Policy and Strategy, Oronto Douglas, the campaign generated hope and won more converts for the book. But it all appeared a flash in the pan as interests dwindled after the euphoria generated by the launch died down.

    These two events – and many others – point to our very low reading culture in the country, a culture that others have successfully used to their benefits because of the values books and reading brings. Important as reading is, why are Nigerians not reading? I really don’t know. As a result, the ratio of students who can read and effectively communicate is dwindling every year.

    Reading has at all times and in all ages been a great source of knowledge. Just as out bodies need appropriate amounts of food and exercise to function properly, so do our minds, it too need a similar type thing. Reading provides the mind with the ‘food’ and exercise it needs to be sharp and efficient. It strengthens the muscles of the mind.

    Reading skills are essential to succeed in society. Those who are good readers tend to exhibit progressive social skills. A person who is widely read is able to mix with others. He is a better conversationalist then those who do not read. He can stand his ground. Reading broadens the vision. It is in a way a substitute for travel. It is not possible to travel as much one would like, but reading can fill in the gap created by the lack of travel.

    Having confidence in reading only comes from the daily practice of reading. A good reader can interact with others in a far better way because reading has widened his vision and point of view. Thus a widely-read man is a better conversationalist and is able to see the other side point of view.

    Researchers have found that there is a strong correlation between reading and academic success. A student who is a good reader is more likely to do well in school and pass exams than a student who is a weak reader. A good reader can understand the individual sentences and organisational structure of a piece of writing. They can comprehend ideas, follow arguments and detect implications. Good readers can extract from the writing what is important for the particular task they are employed in and they can do it quickly.

    There is also a strong correlation between reading and vocabulary knowledge. Individuals who have large vocabulary are usually good readers. This isn’t surprising since the best way to acquire large vocabulary is to read extensively and if you read extensively you’re likely to be or become a good reader. Most good readers have also been found to be good writers as well.

    Books are no doubt very faithful friend of a reader. They never betray but accompany the reader, either sitting alone or traveling. They soothe and relieve tension and loneliness. Some medical experts say reading plays a vital role in checking depression and anxiety. It has been said that even if you don’t go to school, reading can broaden your horizons and teach you things.

    We live in a rapidly advancing world where everything is moving so fast that keeping pace is sometimes daunting. However, with books we can substantially bridge the gap as reading can make a stagnant, barren mind rich and ‘cultivatable’ by pouring rich thoughts into our minds; this ends up bringing the best out of someone. Reading also helps one to see the present in relation to the past and the future thereby helping individuals develop historical perspectives to issues.

    This perspective is often brought into focus through education which, to me, is far more than the marks we receive in school. It’s about understanding right from wrong and having the knowledge we need to stay afloat in today’s society. It helps to further develop our perspective in the world around and pushes us to think both creatively and conceptually about different subjects.

    Some people stop reading the moment they leave school. But in the world we play, many employers are looking for employees who develop themselves and know beyond what they are taught in school. This is the reason why most job interviews today are done unconventionally. It is only those who know this that can prepare for it.

    Over the years, I have also discovered that reading helps people grow as individuals. It opens our minds to many things that we may not have been exposed to before. Through it we know different cultures, religions and thought processes that we may never be exposed to otherwise. How would one – for instance – have known about the ‘untouchables,’ (160 m people tainted by their birth into a caste system that deems them impure and less than human) of India without reading?

    I equally spend a decent amount of time reading about technological and scientific advancements, and most of it never fails to blow my mind. From Google Glass to burst of 3D printing machines that are popping up and creating everything from human organs, edible food to e-cigarettes one wouldn’t know all these if one is not such a voracious reader.

    Reading someone’s thoughts or composing your own is an entirely different experience than speaking to people. When you read there is time to go over passages and try and figure out what was really meant. You can talk back to the writers as they are ‘speaking’ without really ‘interrupting’ them. You can stop and highlight passages you find thought provoking or troublesome. Reading also allows for communication between people who have never or will never meet.

    Finally, reading is an art. It is more than just comprehending words on paper. It is an interactive and lively experience for the imagination and a respite for the soul. Characters and story plots come alive in the mind. An entire world can be created simply by letting the imagination digest the language. It lets one enjoy the world around, through personal experiences and point of view.

    All memories and senses are awake when reading and yet while the outside world is still, the mind and imagination run wild. Reading gives temporary reprieve from the pressures of life and creates a new identity and a new environment. It is about learning. New ideas and opinions are introduced. Theories are proven or disproved. It is discovery in its most basic element.