Reading culture critical to overcoming Nigeria’s challenges —National Librarian

The national librarian, Professor Lenrie O. Aina has said that imbibing reading culture among the cross section of the people, most especially leaders at the helms of affairs is critical to solving various problems confronting the nation.

He maintained that “if we must overcome challenges that are plaguing us as a nation, we must begin to give priority and attention to what we read.”

Making this disclosure in Fakunle Government High School, Osogbo  during this year’s national readership promotion campaign tagged: “Sustaining Lifelong Reading for Positive Change,” Aina emphasised that “the objectives of the campaign are to encourage reading among Nigerians, promote the increase of reading materials in Nigeria and identify major obstacles that are inhibiting reading and ways of addressing them.”

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The national librarian, who was represented by the head of Osun State branch, National Library of Nigeria, Mr Bashiru Akanni Salawu, posited that “over the years, we have continued to embark on readership promotion campaigns for children and youths, who are future leaders of tomorrow by way of sensitising, informing, educating and advancing knowledge and creativity of the youth via various literary activities.”

While recalling that the annual national readership programme campaign dated back to 1981, he further maintained that the programme was aimed at fostering high level of culture of reading in Nigeria for sustainable individual, societal and national growth.

He averred “this year’s event is aimed at promoting reading beyond sheer utilisation and examination purposes, encouraging lifelong reading from womb to grave and sustaining creation of model reading clubs at both primary and secondary schools, among others.

“Children who disregard reading hardly think and as part of the scope for this year’s campaign, books will be distributed to expectant mothers to read to their unborn babies.”

In his opening remark, the chairman of the occasion, who is also the librarian, Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Mr Maxwell Oyinloye stated that apart from the acquisition of new skills and knowledge through reading, students and adults could develop their brains by embracing reading culture.