By; AYO OJEDOKUN, Lagos
The Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), in partnership with other literacy and reading culture advocates in Lagos and Nigeria, is embarking on a book walk in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub.
The walk is a demonstration-cum-road march, aimed at raising the consciousness of the Nigerian public, as well as that of relevant stakeholders in both the public and private sectors, on the urgent need to revive the dying reading culture in our society.
In a statement made available to New Nigerian yesterday, the President of the group, Mr Richard Mammah, said the walk is set to commence today, April 27,2023.
The demonstration walk will take the marchers from Ikeja Bus Stop to Alausa Secretariat, where they will present ‘The Lagos Book Charter,’ a compendium of suggestions to boost the reading culture’, to the Honourable Commissioner for Education and Special Adviser on Education for onward transmission to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
According to the organisers of the NBRPLagosBookWalk, the multifaceted motivations and objectives of the exercise include the following:
“To formally launch Lagos as the Nigerian Book Club City of 2023.
“To create enhanced awareness about books and reading in our society.
” To motivate more discussions in relation to promoting books and reading.
“To encourage more people to join book and reading clubs, and encourage existing clubs to become more active.
“To stimulate increased recognition and acceptance of Nigerian writers and their products, thereby making the Nigerian book market to become more vibrant.
“To serve as a reference-point and open the door for many other book events in the succeeding years.
“To influence the establishment of more vibrant and functional community and neighbourhood libraries as well as reading spaces.
“To put the spotlight on the importance of collaboration among partner organisations in building and strengthening the Nigerian book ecosystem.
“NBRPLagosBookWalk will double as a good workout for the body, whose health even the ancient Greek philosophers acknowledged, was necessary for the health of the mind”.
“It will also provide a good opportunity for networking among kindred spirits from disparate backgrounds and intellectual inclinations” Mammah added.
The NBRP also called on all book lovers and the general public to be part of this momentous occasion in the fight to reverse the mental atrophying of our society.
