Date: 2019-10-24

The Kwara Branch of the National Library of Nigeria (NLN) on Wednesday took its Annual Readership Promotion Campaign to Borstal Training Institution, Ganmo, (a facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service).

The National Librarian, Prof. Lenrie Aina, said the correctional service centre was chosen because its inmates lacked adequate information materials required to acquire knowledge for personal development.

The theme of the 2019 readership campaign is "Reading: A tool for Empowering the Vulnerable"

Aina, who was represented by the Head of Kwara NLN, Mrs. Kafayat Olani, said that inmates were incarcerated and deprived of access to learning and information resources. "And the circumstances of this sub-sector in our society does not stop them from being inquisitive to seek for information. They need to know about health, finances, economy, government policies, current affairs, politics to survive in society.

"Hence, the reason for this approach to encourage reading in all the strata of our country. As a result, the campaign is planned to sensitise the target groups to imbibe the culture of reading.

"They are to be supported with books which are carefully selected to meet their information needs so that they can acquire knowledge and be informed to be transformed and become good citizens," he said.

The Kwara Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, said the topic could not have come at a better time because the quality of education had not peaked like it was in enrollment.

Abdulrazaq, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Mariam Garba, said it was necessary to inculcate the values of reading in children.

"We want to be remembered as the administration that stopped the brain drain from our state on account of poor infrastructure and the lack of the right environment to thrive.

"The House of Assembly has just approved our revised budget which provides for renovation of the state-owned library that is currently in a state of utter despair.

"But we are not just renovating, we are also making the place a sort of innovation hub with full internet access and other accessories necessary for 21st-century education. This step would no doubt boost reading culture and human capital development in the state," Abdulrazaq said.