During the visit to the state-owned library at Isolo on Monday, 9mobile donated books by renowned authors including Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi, Mabel Segun, and Jowhor Ile – winner of the 9mobile Prize for Literature 2016.
Speaking at the presentation of the books to the Lagos State Library Board, Acting Director, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, 9mobile, Oluseyi Osunsedo, said the benefits of book reading on national development were immense, noting that the telco was promoting a reading culture to support knowledge acquisition and retention in Nigeria, especially among the youth.
“For us at 9mobile, we are passionate about driving sustainable national development and making a positive impact in the lives of Nigerians. As a youthful brand, our product offerings and CSR activities firmly confirm our belief that the youth are critical to nation-building, and education is the bedrock of any nation’s development,” she stated.
Osunsedo added that, “Education is the fuel that enables the youth to add value to their family, society, and country. By reading books, the youth are being educated, and are opening their minds to learn, develop and grow. This is why we chose to donate books to mark the World Book Day. We have also gone a step further to establish a reading club at the Isolo Public Library, and this means we will continue to provide more books and ensure that the students and youth continue to improve themselves and make themselves invaluable to our society.”
The Assistant Director, Lagos State Library Board, Asimiyu Oyadipe, commended 9mobile for the gesture and said the support was in line with government’s efforts towards the improvement of a reading culture amongst the residents.
“We thank 9mobile for collaborating with the Lagos State Government, it is in line with the efforts by the State government to improve the reading culture in the state. Lagos State Library Board promises to fully utilise these books, and we encourage like-minded corporate organizations to also reach out to our other libraries spread all over Lagos to replicate this goodwill and support,” he said.
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