NLN Hard To Reach Reading Campaign Targets N20Million Out-of-School & Illiterate Adults

The National Library of Nigeria (NLN) has kicked off its 2022 National Reading Campaign with the theme Reading As A Panacea for Societal Problems.

This year the annual reading campaign of the apex library is targeted at the Hard-to-Reach communities in the hinterlands of the country, which comprise 20 million out-of-school children and illiterate adults according to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report.

Speaking at the flag off ceremony held at the Federal Ministry of Education Conference Hall in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer of NLN, Prof Chinwe Anunobi said hard-to-reach comprises both geographical spaces and language barriers. Hence the library will galvanize support of traditional rulers and royal fathers to aid in the identification of volunteers who will drive the reading project in those areas.

“This campaign is not expected to be a 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 literacy skills,” said Anunobi.

So far, the N50 million budget campaign, has procured about 10, 000 exercise books, 37,000 whiteboards and dusters, tablets, markers, pencils and reading materials like Queen Premier (a literacy book for starters) required to establish a literacy skill outfit.

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“We want to utilize every available fund given to us to ensure we have a sustainable Reading Promotion Campaign (RPC) this year. We have never had a lower budget for the reading campaign than this year. Last year, the budget for the campaign was N120 million, and N150 million the year before that. This year we have decided to go out of our way to do the needful whether or not we get anything,” said the director, NLN Public Service Department and Chairman of RPC, Dr Oluchi Kalu.

“In every state, we have identified one hard-to-reach community/village for a start. Next year, if we receive more funding from the government, we can extend the campaign to more than one hard-to-reach communities in states. We will also be establishing reading clubs in these areas,” said Kalu.

For a more sustainable campaign in spite of the limited budget, the chief librarian said collaboration with other institutions is key.

“With collaboration we have all the space we need. The National Library is located in 33 out of the 36 states of the country. When we collaborate with institutions like UNESCO’s LEARN To Read programme, they bring in their own contribution. Collaboration allows our various partners to contribute their quota towards the success of the campaign. Also, government I believe will not leave us emptyhanded as we have kickstarted this campaign to the hinter areas,” concluded Anunobi.

Meantime, founder of the Maisalati International Foundation for Democracy & Stability, Maisalati Ibrahim has urged federal government and apex library to urgently uphold community and village libraries not just city libraries in order to enhance development in Nigeria’ social, political and economic spaces.