The Wife of the Vice President Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo on Monday urged parents to inculcate good reading habits in their children to enable them to excel in their academics.
Osinbajo made the call in Abuja at an event to commemorate the World Book and Copyright Day organised by the U.S. Embassy and Abuja Literary Society.
The World Book Day and Copyright Day is a yearly event on celebrated every year on April 23 by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), to promote reading, publishing and copyright.
he stressed the need to encourage young ones to cultivate the habit of reading noting that series of discoveries were made on the pages of books.
Osinbajo also said: “ the solutions to the crisis and challenges within our communities and environments, could be easily found through book reading.
“What we learn on the pages book takes to us to the place of knowing better, when you know better you can do better, and as you do better our community will be better for delight of the world.
“Books are not only for academic pursuits,books on hobbies and the things we love are thought of going delight; give a car lover a book on car or a gardener a book on flowers and see what I mean
“Hours of productive leisure can be safely found on the pages of book or on the tablet or other electronics devices through which we always read, I must say I love book,” she said.
She also stressed on the need to encourage those who write and publish books for others to read by shielding them from exploited.
Osinbajo commended the organsiers of the event.
Earlier, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, said the theme of the event stressed the important role of education and international community’s commitment to Nigeria’s future.
The envoy described reading as amazing adding that the best investment that could be made in human capital would be through reading.
“We must remind ourselves that there is an investment that needs to be made in human capital.
“The investment that needed to be made by all of us can start by turning a page and read, you can sit down and learn about other person.
“A book is a door way to your mind and to that of other person, it is a door way to the past and to the future.
“All you have to do is turn the cover of the book and look inside. Whatever you read will determine who you will be tomorrow,” he said.
He commended the wife of the president for encouraging the young ones to cultivate the culture of reading, stressing that the core of the event was how to use a book to open the window or door into the future.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by an official in the Ministry Mrs Justinah Ibeh, said reading of book was important for the progress of individuals and government.
“It is imperative for everyone in Nigeria including children of all ages to cultivate the culture of reading.
“Our society today has survived and provided the basic things that help in sustenance of life on health through the knowledge acquired by our ancestors and those who toed their path by acquiring knowledge through reading books.
“The society require steady improvement and innovations to sustain the world growing population and ever increasing needs,” he said.
According to him the Federal Government had put in place strategies to bring out of school children back to school, implement a comprehensive adult literacy programme and address the challenge of library service in Nigeria.
This he said, was to sustain long life reading of books and education for positive change(NAN)
