A philanthropy has unveiled an initiative aimed at prioritizing the nurturing of reading habits among students to enhance their mental capabilities, promote literacy, and achieve academic excellence in Abuja.
This campaign aims to encourage students to rediscover the joys and benefits of reading, steering them away from spending excessive hours on social media.
The author and celebrant, Goodluck Hayi disclosed this during his 50th anniversary celebration and the unveiling of a book themed “BOOK THE KIDS AGAIN,” in Abuja yesterday.
He highlighted that reading helps individuals acquire life-improving skills, expand their vocabulary, and gain new information and knowledge needed to better understand society.
“The key goal of this project is for students to spend more time reading books, which will ultimately make a positive impact on society,” he added.
He expressed concern over the gaps in reading culture among students and stressed that this project would address that problem.
“We’ve noticed that social media captures the attention of most students. However, when kids engage with physical books, they tend to better understand the material because they aren’t distracted by online devices.”
He continued, “After reading these books, the students can share their opinions, demonstrating that they truly grasp what we’re trying to achieve with this initiative.”
Hayi clarified that social media is not inherently bad but pointed out that most students spend excessive time communicating with friends rather than reading. “It’s possible to train the next generation of students to read more and offer their opinions on societal development,” he said.
He also urged the government to make books more affordable and accessible to students to help foster a stronger reading culture. “One of the challenges we faced before coming up with this idea was the difficulty in accessing books. Many people are focused on political issues, but we need more books that tackle a wider range of topics relevant to our generation.”
He called for publishers to release more books into the market to encourage students to read and form opinions on what they learn.
Meanwhile, following categories schools that participated in competition as follow: Aduvie international school, The hillside school, Stella maris college and Olumawu college while the The hillside school came first to wins the competition respectively.
“On his part, a software developer, Eldad Onojetah said, students need to understand that reading is not just about passing exams but also about engaging with ideas and understanding how authors’ works can impact society. We want the government to encourage more people, including politicians, to write on diverse topics,” he said.
He mentioned the development of an application called “I Did Not Come to You by Chance,” which aims to educate students, emphasizing that not all social media engagement is productive. “Many young people are spending time posting dances online rather than using the platform for educational purposes.”
He concluded, “Reading requires concentration, discipline, patience, and deeper thinking—all of which will help individuals build good character and values necessary for a successful life.”
“Please do not allow social media or electronic gadgets to sabotage your dreams of success—hard work pays,” he added.
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