OUR MESSAGE TO NIGERIANS THE 2015 CHILDREN'S DAY CELEBRATIONS.

The general feeling that poor reading habit among Nigerian students is getting out of control

is very terrifying and infuriating. The high rate of failure in examinations, the increase in student dropout rate, the production of half- baked graduates, etc, are all affecting the

country socially, economically and politically. The Government effort in fighting illiteracy is being thwarted by the students who do not read neither their prescribed textbooks nor for pleasure.

The world bank in conjunction with the Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research, Ibadan, produced a grim report which has confirmed the fears that average Nigerian graduate who leaves a university or polytechnic with a degree or certificate is not worth the qualification which he is supposed to have.

According to the Education fact sheet by the United States embassy in Nigeria,  of the 168 million Nigerian population, 30 million are students, that's 18%,The report concludes that average Nigerian graduate lacks technical skills, poor command of English, is poorly trained and largely unemployable. It did not fail to point out that 80% of students failed the SSCE because they had no credit pass in English, Mathematics, and three other subjects in 2010.

Nigeria’s literacy rate is estimated at 61%. Nigeria has a large number of out-of-school children and young adults with limited literacy and numeracy skills who have little hope of ever joining the formal workforce. Education indicators are poor nationwide, and the greatest need for assistance is in the predominantly Muslim north.

The poor attitude towards reading be as a result of poverty, illiteracy and high cost of books, but in any case, it is observed that 60% of students in the tertiary institutions read prescribed text books only during examination period. While as low as only 21% that buys novels to read for knowledge and pleasure

All these problems points to one direction, declining rate of reading amongst young people leads to poor academic standards and decline in technical output required to effectively drive the economy. 

The government on its parts still makes education a priority, making education the right of every child in its constitution, giving as much as 8% of its annual budget for education; second to defence. I will be observed that it is not just about offering free tuition fees to pupils,  building and equipping libraries, but ensuring that these books are put to use, by inculcating the right mindset in these young people - the reading culture.

This is a serious issue that needs not to be handled with kids gloves, this is why we are taking the campaign a step further, not just creating awareness, or for young people to take up to education with the right tools of learning, as knowledge we know is power and information is the key, this could be unlocked with books and other literary materials,  we hope to sustain this advocacy by setting up young readers clubs in  schools to keep the spirit of reading alive.

We advocate that every child picks up a book today.

Happy children's day Nigeria!