The Coordinator of Caprecon International Development and Humanitarian Foundation, Mr. Dollin Wilson Ovaroh Holt, has expressed confidence in the upliftment of Nigeria in terms of breeding of good leaders and human development if proper reading culture is inculcated.
Speaking at the launch of a Book Club in Jos the Plateau State capitalin conjunction with the Women and Girl-Child Rescue Development Initiative (WGRDI) and the National Library of Nigeria, Jos,
Mr Holt, said reading broadens ones mind and help in self-discovery and societal gains.
According to him, the book club is important to help boost positive thinking in the society, pointing out that it is going to make people grow as it has made him grow into whom he is today as a product of reading.
He said his foundation is a UK based non-profit organization with a branch in Nigeria, and that their mandate is education and training and personal development, under which, is the promotion of a reading culture.
“Our mandate is Education and Training and Personal Development, under which, is the promotion of a reading culture. We aim to inculcate in the mindset of our audience, young people mostly, the importance of reading as a tool for personal advancement and a means of broadening knowledge and thinking critically.
“It is our firm belief that good leaders must first become good readers. This underscores our desire to carry out projects aimed at such. In so doing, we intend to form a partnership with reputable organizations sharing our philosophy of reading as a vital platform for human advancement,” he said.
In her remarks, Head of Plateau State branch of the National Library, Mrs Sarah Emmanuel Mshelia, said the Book Club is a right step in a right direction as the idea will enhance teaching and learning environment.
She urged the club members whom she said have now also become book ambassadors to engage in research and write books, including historical ones that there are almost none even in Plateau.
Mshelia said establishing a book club at the state branches of the National Libraries is part of their mandate as a stipulation by their National Librarian witnessing their summer reading competition last year.
And thankfully, she said, they now have a Book Club on the Plateau, adding that there are also other extracurricular activities the club will be engaged in like scrabble, chess, different games, as well as reading and writing competition.
She urged the members of the club and relevant stakeholders to also write books, particularly books in local dialets which connect more with the people, but that such books are scarce.
The Library Head said their activities will also take reading and writing programmes to the grassroots and those in the hinterlands because by so doing they will impact more on the society and instill effective reading culture.
On her part, the Executive Director, Women and Girlchild Rescue and Development Initiative, Bridget Dakyes, said in the society today, on the social media space as well as in Plateau State, there is poor reading culture among young people and that needs to be addressed.
She said the importance of reading cannot be overemphasized, adding that parents should ensure that their wards read books, authors should write books with local content.
Dakyes said development cannot take place without people acquiring some form of knowledge through reading, but that books that the young ones should read are those that are contextual and they can relate with the stories/content.
She explained that although it is good to read books that will give one global understanding, but reading books that are mostly from the other part of the world will be more like fiction to the reader without much meaningful attachment. Hence the need for writing and reading of books with local content.
She said they have already mapped out action plan to move the Book Club forward, stressing that they will reach out to and engage with communities, organizations, schools, etc to deepen the reading culture for self and societal development.
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