Concerned by the poor reading culture amongst youth in Nigeria, the National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of National Library, Professor Chinwe Anunobi has called for introduction of a National Reading Day and mandatory Library Hour in both private and public schools across the country.
Anunobi made the call during the weekend at an interactive meeting with journalists as part of activities lined up to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of National Library of Nigeria.
She explained that the National Reading Day would provide opportunity to raise awareness and promote reading culture in the country, adding that the mandatory Library Hour is a creation of National Policy on Education as it affects the curriculum implementation but has never been enforced.
“One of the ways to improve on reading culture in Nigeria is to have a National Reading Day. We can have the President read to the nation on that day. We have also advocated for reintroduction of Library Hour in schools, it’s a creation of National Policy on Education. I understand some public schools observe it but this must be enforced in all schools whether private or public,” she stated.
Anunobi highlighted some of the outstanding achievements of the National Library of Nigeria since it was opened up to the public in 1964, disclosing that it has been able to collect 5.5 million titles and above 13 million volumes from inception in its 34 branches across the country.
She said NLN has also digitised its records to create space and automation of all its operations.
She, however, lamented the inability to complete the National Library headquarters building project in Abuja, after about 18 years when construction commenced, describing it as a national embarrassment.
She noted that operations of the National Library serving as a national repository are grossly limited by space as the temporary and rented building where the Library is currently located is dilapidated and inadequate to house all areas of its operations.
She disclosed the building which was started in 2006 ought to have been completed in 2020 according to the initial contract agreement.
She said failure to complete the edifice has continued to restrict everything they are doing, from operations, services, and image and causing national embarrassment to the country.
She noted that the major challenges being faced are lack of accommodation, funding, and staffing, saying the National Library could only boast of about 619 staff distributed across all the branches in states across the Federation.
She said: “The thing is restricting everything we are doing, our operations, services and our image. It’s embarrassing for the country and the country does not know because we have people coming from outside this country and visiting us in our deteriorating building, where national treasuries are preserved.”
Anunobi pointed out that the need for them to move to the Headquarter is now, saying, “The need we had for it in 2006, 2007 is more urgent now than then, because we have increased in number. Our resources have increased, and the need for us to do better services and we are moving into a digital world. And there is a need for us to train, have a data center.”
“Let me tell you that the National Library is big enough to be a data centre for this country. You can set up a data centre either in the basement or in the penthouse for the whole country.
“When I travelled, the first question someone asked me in the hotel was that the person was not a Nigerian. There’s a building that is standing for so long each time I visit Nigeria, I see it. Why is it standing? They said it’s a national library. Is there any way you can complete it? It’s a national embarrassment to your country. That is why the exited Minister, Prof Mamman said no, the shame must stop.”
The National Librarian, however, pleaded with the government to hasten the completion and also urged the state government to invest in improving public libraries in their state and ensure completion of some of the projects in their states.
Anunobi said the National Library, which was established precisely in September 1964 commenced operations on 6th November in Lagos and since then has continued to live up to its mandate.
“It has been preserving the nation’s heritage since 1964 and that is why we are able to collect 5.5 million titles, we have in this National Library now of resources collected from 1964 till now and we have above 13 million volumes collected from inception,” she said.
She however noted that the National Library has been challenged with not just the issue of accommodation, but also that of funding and inadequate staff to man its 34 branches across the country as well as deteriorating libraries across states.
The activities lined up to mark the 60th event include a walk, unveiling of new logo, prayers in Mosques and churches, community outreach, and youths festival among others.
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