The Chief Executive Officer, National Library of Nigeria, Prof.Chinwe Anunobi, has raised the alarm over poor reading culture in the country, calling for a concerted effort to check it.
Anunobi stated this in her address during the 2021 reading promotion campaign of the library with the theme: “Building A Nation Of Readers,” in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
Represented by Dr. (Mrs) Kalu Oluchi Ichie, she harped on the need for critical stakeholders in the education sector to collaborate and seek lasting solutions to the challenge as urgently as possible.
She said: “The theme is hinged on the fact that reading is a springboard for change and growth. Our democracy, economy, education and quality of lives are all enhanced by reading well and critically.”
According to her, the objectives of the campaign are to encourage and revive reading culture among the people by providing good reading materials and to seek solutions with stakeholders.
“To achieve these, we have continually embarked on reading campaign promotion with focus on children and youths in primary and secondary schools by way of sensitizing, informing, and educating them on reading culture.”
In her address, the head of the library in the state, Mrs Chika Ezulike, expressed optimism that the campaign would succeed in sensitizing and reawaking the consciousness of the people on the need to read.
On her part, the wife of the governor, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu represented by her principal secretary, Chief (Mrs) Love Ezema, encouraged parents to start reading aloud to their children and to expose them to reading activities.
The permanent secretary and acting permanent secretary of the ministries of education and women affairs, Mr. Eze Ajuzie and Very Rev’d Jane Omereonye, stressed the importance of the campaign.
A participant, Miss Jachinma Raphael, a pupil and the author of a book entitled “Fruit Of Diligence,”promised to be at the vanguard of encouraging other children to read and appreciated the library.
