LAGOS PLEDGES TO PROMOTE READING CULTURE, INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOLS  

The Lagos State Government has pledged to promote a reading culture and intellectual development in schools. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Dr. Tokunbo Wahab, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Special Adviser on Education (OSAE), Mr. Kasali Adeniran, made the assertion at the third edition of the Lagos Reads Inter-Schools Quiz Competition organised by the Lagos State Library Board for selected schools at the Local Government Service Commission Training School, Ikeja. Wahab stated that sustainable educational development is one of the major priorities of the administration, noting that the ‘Lagos Reads’ event became necessary due to the general decline in reading habits among youths. His words: “A competition like this in schools, no doubt, would promote intellectual development and healthy rivalry among our youths, while at the same time helps to reduce crime and youth restiveness as well as other vices associated with idleness; for an idle hand is the instrument of the devil”.

Announcing that Governor Sanwo-Olu has approved the renovation and digitalisation of libraries in all public secondary schools, the Special Adviser said 243 public libraries across the three Senatorial Districts of Lagos have been rehabilitated and equipped with functional ICT facilities by OSAE since the present administration assumed office.

Wahab urged youths to make good use of opportunities provided by the government and justify the government’s investment in education by regularly updating their knowledge through constant reading, avoiding sensational social media use, and shunning all clandestine activities that can undermine the growth of the State. Earlier, the Director, Lagos State Library Board, Mr. Asimiyu Oyadipe, outlined the various activities carried out by the Board for an improvement in the reading culture of youths in the State.

He listed activities such as online quizzes, visitation to schools by LagosReads Ambassadors as well as the LagosReads Inter-Schools Quiz Competition. LagosReads, he said, is an initiative geared towards improving the reading culture of all Lagosians by facilitating and promoting reading programmes and activities in schools as well as public and private libraries across the State.

“I want to seize this opportunity to reaffirm that reading is an important activity that promotes academic excellence in our schools and the Lagos State Library Board is committed to ensuring that the reading culture in Lagos State continues to improve in consonance with Mr. Governor’s T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, which has Education and Technology as the 3rd Pillar”, he said.

At the end of the competition, Lagos Baptist Secondary School, Agege emerged as the overall winner, followed by Ikeja Senior High School and Gbaja Senior Boys High School, Surulere at the second and third positions respectively.