NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NIGERIA
WELCOME ADDRESS OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARIAN/CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER, PROFESSOR CHINWE VERONICA ANUNOBI AT THE FLAG-OFF OF THE ANNUAL
READERSHIP PROMOTION CAMPAIGN HOLDING AT THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ON 15TH SEPTEMBER, 2022.
The
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu
The
Minister of State for Education, Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah
The
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. David Adejo Andrew
The
Directors-General of Agencies/CEO under Ministry of Education,
Directors
of Ministries,
International
Agencies present,
Members
of the Fourth Estate,
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
Protocol
It is
with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this remarkable occasion of the Annual
Readership Promotion Campaign (RPC) of the National Library of Nigeria flag-off
which forms part of the statutory mandates of the Apex library of the Nation.
RPC is a call on all Nigerians to embrace the habit of reading in order to
eradicate the rate of illiteracy in Nigeria.
The Campaign
is designed to awaken reading consciousness among Nigerians by way of promoting
the availability and use of good reading materials by all and sundry as well as
collectively seek solutions to the obstacles to reading culture in Nigeria. This
engagement will take place in all the Thirty Six {36} States of the Federation
including the Federal Capital Territory {FCT} Abuja,with a focus on donation of
books and other materials to Primary/ Secondary Schools as well as other vulnerable groups in support of their learning.
The campaign is not the first of its kind but a continuous effort put together
by my predecessors aimed at actualizing our mandate and raising a literate
society.
RPC was
first conceived in November 12, 1980 with the inauguration of the National
Implementation Committee on Readership Promotion Campaign for Nigeria by the National
Library Board. Consequently RPC was established to:
- Ø inculcate reading habit for lifelong learning not only for examinations, promotions and interview purposes;
- Ø encourage
reading for sustainable growth and development ;
- Ø ensure the provision of books and other reading materials adequately in number and
variety, which are relevant to our culture and situation;
- Ø identify problems which militate against the
development of good reading habit; and
- Ø initiate
interventions that will eliminate obstacles to reading.
Hence, RPC
became a statutory imperative budgeted for on annual basis. The first RPC took
place in the first week of November 1981 as library week and subsequently becomes
a yearly event conducted by the National Library of Nigeria.
Prior to 2015, the Campaign was restricted to
one location. Between 2006 and 2009, it was held in the International
Conference Centre, Abuja. In 2010, it
was moved to Edo State Capital, Benin City and subsequently rotated amongst the
other five (5) geo-political zones.
However,
a turnaround was made in 2015 when the campaign was designed to hold in all the
State Capitals in Nigeria where students and pupils of secondary and primary
schools were invited to ensure that the menace of lack of reading habit is nip
at its bud. It is also carried out by
visiting places such as Internally Displaced Persons {IDPs} Camps, the Nigerian
Correctional Centers as well as the Hospitals and Motor Parks.
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. The campaign is not expected to be flash in the pan,
whereby once we turn our backs, the project will end. Arrangement is concluded to
provide these communities with whiteboards, markers, writing materials and
basic reading materials, in other to engender basic literacy skills.
Considering
the need for inclusiveness and desire to address the national problems, this
year’s theme was chosen to be “‘Reading
as a Panacea for Societal Problems” with the Sub- theme as:. Inculcating
Reading Habits in a Changing World: A tool for sustainable Economic
Development, Continuous Education and Social Inclusion.
The
intention is to address seemingly unconcerned majority of us uninterested in
reading from the grassroots and to educate us on the importance of reading. It
is expected as encapsulated in the theme that reading will bridge the gap
between: the excluded and the included, the aware and the unaware, the
acclaimed scholars and the yet to be tutored, the rich and the poor, the rural
and the urban, the freeborn and the cast, the leader and the follower, the
master and the servant, the employer and the intending employee. Kickstarting reading habit in a Nigerian out
there, will surely address his personal, educational, sociopolitical, security and
economic concerns.
A strong reading culture enhances independence, leadership and
confidence. It reinforces an important academic skill that is needed to acquire
knowledge and understanding in school and it is fundamental for lifelong
learning. Furthermore, it is a key component in social and emotional
development. As the saying goes, “the more you read, the more you know and the
more you know, the more you grow’’. Reading
improves emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
Consequently, for all inclusive
sustainable development hinging on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be
achieved and sustained particularly SDG4, which is centred on education, Nigeria
must put reading at the top of her priority list. This shows
that enhanced reading culture is a prerequisite for acquisition of knowledge
and skills needed by all people in a rapidly changing world and catalyst for
participation in social, cultural, political and economic activities of the
Nation. Lack of reading culture is considered absurd
and inimical to the growth and development of Nigeria, especially to its
nascent democracy.
At
this juncture, let me reiterate that a reading nation is a moving nation and a
country whose citizenry hardly reads stands at the edge of a precipice awaiting
a colossal fall. The habit of reading is speedily approaching freezing point in
Nigeria. Hence, the National Library of Nigeria will never rest on her oars until
she achieves a reading nation, for a reading nation is a leading nation. Show
me a good leader and I will tell he is a reader. We are open to collaboration
with stakeholders in the world of reading as well as concerned citizens of this
Country to achieve a reading Nigeria.
Ladies and gentlemen, before the Readership Promotion Campaign
is flagged off, permit me to profoundly express my appreciation to the Hon.
Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu for his passion and unwavering support
to the National Library of Nigeria in all our programmes. We appreciate you the Hon. Minister of State
for Education Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah and the Permanent Secretary Mr David Adejo
Andrew for embracing and charting the course of the National Library within
your short period. We are sincerely grateful to the National Assembly, Budget
Office and most of all the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Muhammadu Buhari for their support.
I welcome you all again, thank you for coming and God bless.
