The Federal Government has flagged off the 2022 readership promotion campaign to sensitize Nigerians on the importance of reading as a tool for national growth.
At the event in Abuja, the Minister of state for Education Mr Goodluck Opiah said the campaign is designed by the National Library of Nigeria to capture the thirty six states of the federation and the federal capital territory Abuja.
The Minister said the theme of this year’s campaign, “Reading as a Panacea for Societal Problems” is timely and appropriate, considering the declining level of reading habit in the world and Nigeria in particular Nigeria.
According to Mr Opiah ‘’specifically, the campaign is expected to consider the extent to which reading culture enhances the development of a nation.
He continued “The outcome is expected to move the nation forward economically, socially and politically. a reading society no doubt is an informed and knowledgeable society that contributes positively to economic transformation and all-round development of its country. Reading adds quality to life, provides access to culture and cultural heritage. Reading empowers and emancipates brings people together’’.
He stressed that The Federal Ministry of Education has made the promotion of reading culture one of our top priorities which is reflected in Pillar 10 (Library Services in Education) of the Ministry’s Education For Change: A Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP).
The National Librarian and Chief Executive officer of the National Library of Nigeria Professor Chinwe Veronica Anunobi said the readership campaign is part of efforts to eradicate the rate of illiteracy in Nigeria.
Professor Anunobi explained that the 2022 readership campaign is designed to impact on people at the rural areas, out of school children and those at the IDPs camp.
‘’This year’s campaign which is borne out of the need to impact on the local people- “the Hard to Reach” will be held in the hinterlands where out of school children which was put at 20million by UNESCO as well as the illiterate adults are found. When we say Hard-to- Reach, we are not only talking about geographical spaces, but language barriers. So we are taking the campaign to royal palaces, to meet the royal fathers who will galvanize support by identifying volunteers, which will drive the project in those communities’’. Professor Anunobi said
The National Librarian affirmed that the campaign would also identify problems which militate against the development of good breading habit and initiate interventions that would eliminate obstacles to reading.
RADIO NIGERIA