…..As Uyo Club marks world book day 2021 with Village Boy at NCI
By Nseabasi Valentine
Today was a full investment in the future. Raindrops that totally make an ocean…
It’s been WORLD BOOK DAY today, 23rd April 2021 and Uyo Book Club under the able leadership of it’s founder, renowned Media scholar and PR expert , Dr. Udeme Nana led a delegation of members of the book club to read with the students of the Nigerian Christian Institute (NCI) Uyo.
To spark their minds and encourage the students to read more, the club chose as book of focus, the new book, VILLAGE BOY, written by Anietie Usen which just got the United Nationsā Sustainable Development Goals, (UN SDG Book, African Chapter) recognition and selection as one of the best of five books nominated for the 2021 World Book and Copyright Day.
We arrived the school in our numbers, their calling bell rang out and they all settled in. We picked an arm of each class and went in to read the VILLAGE BOY with them…
These kids are curious!
In no time we were reading, explaining, spotting new words,defining them and then picking life lessons from the book, sharing inspirational words with them …Then Mr. Usen, the author walked in and the atmosphere was lit in flames of joy and ecstacy as the students saw face to face the star they just read about…before we knew it, two hours was gone and they asked that we come back another day,they asked that we make more books available in their library.
See?
Seed sown. Raindrops of love splattered. Fire for the love of books lit.
Mission accomplished.
And at evening,
Our city, Uyo was officially pronounced, the NATIONAL BOOK CLUBS CITY FOR 2021.
The press conference to announce this unveiling by the Network of Book Clubs and Reading Promoters in Nigeria happened at 6:45pm via zoom to mark this years World Book Day.
Important dignitaries who attended the press conference were the National President of the Network of Book Clubs and Reading Promoters in Nigeria, Mr. Richard Mammah, the President of the Nigerian Publishers Association, Chief Uche Anioke, his Association of Nigerian Authors counterpart, Mr. Camilus Chima Ukah, President of the Booksellers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Oluwadare Michael Oluwatuyi, Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers Association, PAWA, Dr. Wale Okediran and coordinators of other book clubs in Nigeria.
Highpoint of the conference was the attendance of the Chairman, Uyo Local Government Council, Dr. Uwemedimo Udo and his entire members of council. With him was Dr. Aniekeme Uwah, a book lover too. The Chairman promised to partner with the Uyo Book Club in hosting the National Book convention scheduled for Uyo in September.
The enthusiasm expressed by these people point to the fact that “Uyo will make Nigeria to read again”, those being the words of Dr. Udeme Nana as he addressed the forum in giving his acceptance speech to host the national book event.
There is more where these came from…stay tuned!
Pictures
