Poor Reading Culture Diminishing Intellectual Growth, Says Ex

Dr. Udeme Nana, a former chief press secretary (CPS) to Obong Victor Attah, the first civilian governor of Akwa Ibom State at the return of democracy in 1999, has expressed concern over the drastic decline in reading culture among the youths, noting that such attitude had impinged negatively on intellectual resources.

The founder of Uyo Book Club (UBC) further observed that apathy in reading had contributed immensely to the dearth of deep thinkers and shortfall of critical reasoning prevalent in the society .

Addressing a congregation of readers during the inaugural January 2026 reading session of the Uyo Book Club held at the Watbridge Hotels, IBB Way, Uyo, Nana noted the decline in the reading culture among Nigerians, adding that the present society has abandoned the reading habit for the pleasures of scrolling, texting, skimming through which don’t make for reflection.

Nana , a Mass Communication scholar lamented that the society has lost the value of deep reading, which according to him, helps to reshape and reposition the society.

“it seems that we are in a society where the habit of reading is waning.

Nigerians seem to be losing the habit of deep reading which helps to reshape the mind,” he noted.

Nana, who was recently credited by Goggle for the coinage of the word, “Digidiots” to describe the people addicted to using information technology gadgets or using them unethically, pointed out that a large population of readers remain the best for democracy, as reading enables people to understand issues better.

“Reading enables people to understand arguments, reflect on competing claims and platforms and reason about the alternatives.

“When reading habit declines in the society, the capacity for rational engagements reduces and people are no longer moved by ideas but by empty slogans and resort to religion, ethnicity and vote selling”.

He reiterated the mission of Uyo Book Club initiative, saying it was to change the bad narrative of poor reading to good in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.

Nana, in his review of the Uyo Book Club Book of of the month – The Alchemist – written by Paulo Coelho, regretted that the reading culture in the society has gone low adding that the book club was set up to revive reading habit of the people.

“Uyo Book Club is in its 11th year. We set up the Book Club because we noticed that the reading culture was going down.

“It is so unfortunate that we are in a society where reading culture is very low. Consequently, we have lost the habit of deep thinking and concentration .

“A large population of readers is the best for democracy. We are in a society where slogans have replaced reasoning. Reading should be taken as a civic duty by citizens,” he stressed.

Nana recalled a situation in the National Assembly where an Electoral bill was passed into law without the lawmakers reading it. “That really showed where we are as a people. Let’s spread the message of reading”, he urged.

He, therefore, inducted the Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barr Obo Effanga, into Uyo Book Club, and urged him to establish a Book Club in the State Electoral Commission Headquarters.

Responding, the Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner Barr Obo Effanga who was a Special Guest Reader during the session explained the wonders of books adding that voters who made informed choices during elections are readers .

“Reading should be cultivated as a virtue because it enables people to concentrate and remain focused in life” the Election Administrator added. He also donated some of his published works to the Book Club and said that he enjoys his membership of the Book Club, adding that the discussion in the Whatsapp Group of the Club was cerebral and robust.