Reading, Nigerian Youths and Library Advocacy Group

Reading whether fiction or non fiction books in whatever format broadens one's understanding of issues, concepts and opinions. Reading builds the brain and keeps it finely tuned for learning all through a lifetime.
Reading helps build communication skills as one gathers a wider range of words to express thoughts, feelings and ideas. It improves focus and concentration as one tends to shut out every 'outside noise' when reading!
Analytical thinking and innovativeness are fast becoming basic requirements in the 21st century workplace and business environment. Reading books assists more than 95% in building these skills. How?
These skills are only acquired and practiced through imagination and creative thinking. One is limited or boundless by what he can imagine or 'see' in his mind. Books stretch the mind - they take us to places where we have never been, they tell us ideas that we never even ever thought of, they allow us to learn the principles of those who succeeded and even those who failed! This makes readers smarter, more fun to engage and interact with.
More importantly, reading builds empathy. It makes us to be more accommodating of other peoples' way of life and perspectives different from the ours. It helps to foster peace, understanding and inclusiveness.
That is why the Library Advocacy Group @NigLibrarians libraryadvocacygroup.wordpress.com
is celebrating Nigerian youths through a literacy campaign as the UN marks the 2017 World Youth Day on August 12th.
Our youths have mastered the act of reading to pass examinations. Today, as librarians, we preach that our youths also need to get into the groove of reading - to discover themselves, to learn, to be all that they can be, to succeed and to build a better Nigeria. In these days of rife clashes and misunderstandings, young people need to read to stretch their mind to be equipped with knowledge, ideas, superior & extensive imaginative skills to fashion out a better Nigeria.
The knowledge economy beckons to Nigeria. To get ready, to plunge into it and change the single story of Nigeria's resource base, we need to get people reading. That's why libraries have existed from ancient times until now - to get people reading and thinking so as to be equipped to be change agents in the society.
The Library Advocacy Group chose Pius Adesanmi's article - ' Do you know what 'A luta Continua' means?' because it espouses the essentialism of reading, literacy and learning beyond classrooms and acquisition of degrees. We also chose Chinua Achebe's timeless book 'Man of the People' because young people are meant to be leaders, not just of tomorrow but also of today.
The prizes to be won by those who will read and summarize the texts are not worth much. Yes. However, the main prize is to be won by young people who will participate in the literacy campaign, understand the core essence of Pius Adesanmi's article and Chinua Achebe's book and go on to be readers, thinkers and change agents in our nation!