Olalekan Adepoju Olagunju
The Vice Chancellor of Crawford University Igbesa, in Ogun State, Professor Isaac Rotimi Ajayi has enjoined pupils, students and adults, regardless of their professions and status to inculcate reading culture into their systems.
The VC made the call recently during the celebration of Year 2020 World Book Day organized by the institution’s Librarians to celebrate accomplished authors and their works, the book, enjoyment and prestige it offers; prospects and reading culture.
Ajayi who was ably represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Alaba Simpson said, the United Nations (UN), through its Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), instituted the World Book Day as a day to call attention to book, copyright laws and other intellectual property laws, stressing that books are treasures of knowledge for educational institutions that people could consult, read, make reference and borrow in order to be developed, equipped with sound education and become well exposed.
“Unfortunately, we stand to lose accrued benefits with the constant erosion of Nigerians reading culture. With the coming and proliferation of various ‘book cousins’, the electronic media, radio and television, Internet, mobile phones among others, books are rapidly falling out of favour, especially among our young generations. The social media has become a major culprit in the disappearance of reading culture among Nigerian youths which undesirably is not adding any worthy knowledge to their intellectual wellbeing”, the VC said.
In the same vein, the Librarian of Crawford University, Dr. Elizabeth Bukunola Lateef (Chartered), reiterated that the present and future generations of Nigerian youths are at the risk of moving from oral or physical to digital culture, by neglecting writing and reading culture.
She said “it is disheartened, our youths can navigate around the Internet, surf the Web and social media, use smart phones/tablets and other sophisticated gadgets; but they find it difficult to read and articulate their thoughts on a paper”.
The Librarian therefore advised pupils, students, and teachers in the country and the general public to develop, encourage and promote reading habits by making proper use of resources in schools libraries and various places, stating that reading book in hard copy or electronics are part of growing up.
Crawford University Librarian, Dr. Bukunola Lateef; Professor
Abisoye and Awardees in a group photograph
The event also featured paper presentation delivered by Dr. Bosede Afolayan from University of Lagos, Akoka; recitation of authors and their works by Crawford University Nursery and Primary School pupils, debate competition between Alapoti Community Junior School and CIC Royal Academy with the topic “Is peer pressure harmful or beneficial to students’ academic progress? Loral International School and Corona International Secondary School tackle each other on the topic, “Is it better to be honest and poor or dishonest and rich?
