Youth Initiative for Sustainable Human Development (YISDAH), an NGO, has called on government to invest in public libraries to reawaken reading culture among Nigerian youth.
The president of YISDAH, Yaba Joseph, during the 2018 Book Reading Day yesterday in Abuja, said the need to promote effective reading habits among young people through the use of libraries “cannot be overemphasised”, adding that poor reading skills could affect personality and self-esteem.
“Reading is an activity which helps to develop the mind, personality of human beings and ultimately enrich their intellectual lives.
“As young people learn to enjoy reading, learning becomes relevant, and that way their reading ability and self-concept improve,” he noted.
Yaba also said reading helps young people have mastery of their lives and situations of life; it also helps them achieve greater control, increased independence and greater sense of self-worth.
Explaining further the benefits of reading, he maintained that it helps develop soft skills and mastery of language, extents knowledge and assists in academic work.
“Statistics has shown that students who read are likely to have a background knowledge and familiarity with new topics or subjects and thus find learning easier and more interesting,” he said.
Yaba said public and school libraries form an integral part of educational development in children and youth, which are fundamental to the design, implementation and attainment of educational excellence.
He said without the support of efficient libraries, schools could not successfully achieve the goals of education. (NAN)
