For Nigerian students to align with global competitiveness, they must embrace the culture of reading wide at a youthful age. This and more were the views of Iretiola Doyle, renowned actress and TV producer, who was a special guest of honour at the 2014 World Book Day celebration in Lagos.
Doyle, while addressing the students, disclosed that only when they embrace a disciplined reading culture that they will think of making success out of their chosen career.
She while speaking at the event organised by Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, Oregun, Lagos pointed out that the pages of the book is one of the many ways to acquire success, therefore every child must read widely irrespective of the genre at their disposal.
World Book Day is an initiative of UNESCO, which is celebrated every 27th April worldwide as a universal mark of respect for books and authors.
Reading an excerpt from Chimamanda Adichies’, “Half of A Yellow Sun”, she advised the students to inculcate the art of reading that will expose their horizon in competing favourable to the outside world.
She said success in life depends on the sub total of decisions made today and stressed that making choices comes with consequences. Responsibilities are the end product of consequences so reading culture must be guarded with discipline.
Olufunke Fowler-Amba, director of the school, said the World Book Day is a celebration of authors, illustrators, and most importantly a celebration of books. She explained that this year’s edition is dedicated to Chimamanda Adichie and Enid Blyton for their giant strides in the literary world.
She added that women writers have come a long way and continue to make prominent strides in the realm of literature.
Stephen Onerhime, a parent, challenged students to read from the experience of others as this would aid in demonstrating competence that will boost their chances of becoming better persons in the future. He advised students to excite their imagination by reading widely and turning adversity into success.
Onerhime said the differentiating factor in hardwork is the time dedicated to the reading culture as frequent and repeated reading habit is a requisite to success. He therefore, enjoined students to determine what they want to be rather than following the trend.
He added that reading is synonymous to exercise, “reading is same as exercising your body after a long day, you need to read to reduce the stress in you, and reading reinvigorates your energy and makes you a better person tomorrow.
Chances of continuous reading is that you stand out, you are always ready to deliver and your imagination of picturing the world at a glance are in your finger tips.”
IFEOMA OKEKE
