By Stephen Adeleye.
Prof. Lanre Aina, the National Librarian, National Library of Nigeria, (NLN) on Friday said the Federal Government has concluded plans to establish a standard National Library in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Aina disclosed this in Lokoja, at the ”Readership Promotion Campaign” organised by the National Library of Nigeria.
He said that the federal government’s decision to establish the national library in the state was in recognition of the efforts of the commissioner and the governor to move education forward in the state.
He noted that the campaign with the theme: “Reviving Moribound Culture of Reading in Nigeria for Sustainable National Development”, was holding simultaneously in Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, and Zamfara States.
The librarian stressed that the event was meant to encourage reading culture among Nigerians especially the youths and children who are the future generations.
In her remarks, the Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, expressed delight over the federal government’s plans to establish a national library in the state.
The commissioner said the establishment would complement government’s effort to encourage reading culture in the state.
Osikoya who spoke on the “Role of Educational Policies and the Realities of Today”, said research shows that over 65 million Nigerians were not able to read and write.
According to her, the problem is significant and must be holistically addressed through multi-sectoral collaborations.
The commissioner added that the state had set up a committee which is currently working on language literacy to encourage learning in indigenous languages.
She said that the government needed to recruit up to 15, 000 teachers for effective teaching and learning in basic and secondary education, saying “Education is the bed rock for sustainable development”.
Earlier, the FCT Branch Head of the library, Mrs Rekiya Shehu, said Nigeria was rated as one of the countries with the lowest reading culture, while admonishing everyone to develop a reading culture.
(NAN)
