The government, Nigerians, and stakeholders in the book industry have been urged to invest in the nation‘s intellectual culture.
The call was made by Dr Dominic Omenaghawon Omokaro, the keynote speaker of the Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), at the network’s 2025 Conference on Reading and Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was recently held in Abuja.
According to Omokaro, investing in Nigeria‘s intellectual culture is one way to address the low level of reading culture and harness the unifying benefits of reading in Nigerian society.
“Reading unifies us in many ways; it helps build our national identity by recording and preserving our shared heritage and history. Reading opens the doors to dialogues – helping us understand that though tribes and tongues may differ, we are all one humanity.”
However, the ex-Chairman of the Council of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) bemoaned the nation‘s inability to reap the benefits of reading, owing to the absence of key reading foundations and structures. These include an inadequate or zero presence of libraries in schools and communities, the high cost of books and limited access to diverse reading sources or materials, and insufficient availability of books that highlight our diversity and similarities.
On the way forward, Omokaro recommended strengthening reading and book clubs in schools and communities, particularly in the hinterland areas, revitalising the libraries in every school and community by collaborating with public and private institutions, and promoting indigenous literature.
In the meantime, the network awarded two individuals, the CEO of the National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Professor Chinwe V. Anunobi, and Awele Ilusanmi, President of Literary Authors Cooperative Multipurpose Society of Nigeria, with the Champions of Reading Award 2025.
Anunobi was awarded the prize for successfully digitising the National Library resources and services and promoting reading amongst young Nigerians and in hinterland areas with her eight-point agenda strategy since her assumption of office in 2021. This year, the National Library has been a major NBRP Abuja Book City Programme partner. Ilusanmi, on the other hand, was awarded for her invaluable support and contributions to the Nigerian literary landscape.
Speaking at the event, Anunobi commended NBRP‘s resilient spirit in championing the promotion of a reading culture in Nigeria despite all odds.
“I thank the NBRP for not being discouraged even when they have every right to be, particularly when publishers, authors, and reading culture critics fail to respond to calls for support.
“I congratulate myself, too. If ten per cent of Nigerians work with me, I will be the happiest because it would bring about change and unify our country.”
Besides the Poetry Reading Competition held at the event, participants- both student, teachers and book stakeholders were also privy to panel discussions featuring book publishers and book store owners which explored the power of bookstores as an interphase between readers and publishers, and the key strategies to developing a reading audience for authors, and making books available at affordable prices to the Nigerian public.
Themed ‘Reading A Unifying Factor,’ the conference and AGM are annual events of the NBRP and form part of its Book City project, of which Abuja is the book city for the year 2025.
