National Library Intensifies Campaign On Reading Culture

The National Library of Nigeria (NLN) has embarked on awareness campaigns across the country with a call on school children and the youth to have attitudinal change and imbibe a reading culture.
The National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of NLN, Prof. Chinwe Anunobi, made the call on Tuesday in Lokoja at the 2021 Readership Promotion Campaign tagged: “Building A Nation Of Readers: Share Your Story”.
Anunobi said the campaign was aimed at encouraging and reviving the moribund reading culture among Nigerians by providing good reading materials.
Anunobi, who was represented by the Head Legal Deposit Department, NLN, Abuja, Mr Idongesit Akpabio, added that the campaign was also to collectively, with other stakeholders, seek solutions to the identified obstacles inhibiting reading habit in Nigeria.
“To achieve these over the years, the NLN has continued to embark on readership promotion campaigns focusing on children and the youth in primary and secondary schools by sensitising, informing and educating them on the reading culture.
‘“The campaigns are also extended to some identified groups in the society, such as the expectant and nursing mothers in maternity homes, workers and travellers in motor parks, inmates in the correctional centres and rural communities across the country”, he said.
The Head of Kogi branch of NLN, Mrs Oyiza Agu, said the programme was initiated following the prevailing decline in the reading culture of Nigerians.
She added the programme was an annual ritual aimed at promoting reading beyond mere utilisation and examination reason.
According to her, it is to support the creation of model reading clubs in Nigeria and empower stakeholders to actively promote reading,  as well as make Nigeria a reading nation through partnership and collaborations.