The Curator, National Museum of Unity, Aleshinloye, Ibadan, Mrs Oriyomi Pamela Otuka has called for humble donation of books from publishers, and other non- governmental organizations to the museum.
The call was made on Thursday at its maiden book club inauguration ceremony held at the Alado Awaye Hall, National Museum of Unity, Aleshinloye, Ibadan on Thursday.
Mrs Otuka noted that the decision to embark on book readers’ club arrangement is to serve a wake up call to children and young adults of the need to strengthen its reading culture which is dying out in the Nigerian society.
The Curator added that National Museum of Unity, Aleshinloye is changing the narrative that the building only houses artworks, insisting that introducing books into it would further enable intellectual archives, apart from the usual artefacts.
Speaking, Chairman of the event, Mr Fatai Adiyeloja said it is needful of every Nigerian to embrace literacy as only through this there could be global exploration and competitiveness.
Adiyeloja maintained that Nigerians should strive to earn the formal certificates as could afford, despite, it appears less educated make monies and wealth without ado, added that moving through the dark would enable any individual creative anywhere he finds himself around the world.
In her contribution, 2023 book reviewer of ” Tales from Esan Land” by Jackson Akpasubi, former general manager, Premier 93.5 FM, Mrs Bolatito Joseph Janet in two of the reviewed units of the book, pointed the need to avoid greed, covetousness and wickedness in any society for unity, progress and development, called parents to create reading time with their children for a formal supervision of a book chosen for appreciation to avoid bad knowledge transfer.
A participant from Qiblah International School, Ibadan, Sheu Abeeb commended the organized event, noted he had been exposed the more; called young fellow students to embrace reading culture as he had realized through this they could make waves in life.
Earlier, the Convener and Chief Library, National Museum of Unity, Aleshinloye, Ibadan, Omo Ezeomo Ajiwe said the essence of the event was to get the participants acquainted with wider book reading, adding that the inaugurated reader’s club within the Museum would encourage authors, publishers the more towards indigenous creativity.
Mrs Ezeomo charged the government to revitalize libraries in the country through sincere funding, appealed to publishers, academics and public to donate their old or new books to its library.
The event featured mime from the reviewed book ‘Orion and Wine tapper’, led by Art Master and Potters Group of the Ibadan Grammar School, cutting of cake, citation, questions and answer and presentation of gifts to most excellent students, among others.
