Network plans Lagos book walk

Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP) urges Nigerian youth to imbibe the culture of reading.

The Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP) has announced plans for a Lagos Book Walk in the second quarter of 2023. The network is an amalgam of book clubs in Nigeria. It was set up in February 2020 and its stated goals include the stimulation of the love of reading among our people and greater patronage for public reading spaces in the country.

The walk will culminate in the launch of Lagos as the NBRP Nigeria National Book Clubs City 2023.

The walk would take place in Ikeja, Lagos, commencing 9:00am on Tuesday, April 27, 2023. The route runs from Ikeja Bus Stop, Obafemi Awolowo Way to the Governor’s Office, Alausa.

A reading promotions and musical concert/carnival would close the session at the JJT Park, Alausa, Lagos. Participants would be kitted in branded walk t-shirts.

Lagos as NBRP Nigerian National Book Clubs City, 2023 would be the third in the series. Uyo was host city for 2021 and 2022 and Yenagoa is host for 2024.

The plan is for the walk to be followed by other reading promotions activities that would take place all over the state and all-year long between April 2023 and April 2024. Some of the scheduled activities in this regard are to hold in Victoria Island, Ilupeju, Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu, Badagry, Igando, Lagos Island, Alimosho and Alagbado. Others are still being scheduled.

Book sector organisations are being invited to.cohost the events within and outside their premises.

But even beyond the 2023 Book Clubs City period, we also intend to continue to drive reading promotions activities across the next five years leading to what we think should be the megacity’s pitch to host the UNESCO World Book City in 2028 (Accra is host for 2023 and Port Harcourt was host in 2014). There is also a broader NBRP 10-year readership development plan for the city-state.
The walk has as objectives:
• Call attention to the importance of reading.
• Encourage Lagosians to embrace reading as a life-long activity.
• Sensitise Lagosians on the benefits of reading.
• Request greater governmental, communities and private sector support for the further development and advancement of the reading culture all across Lagos State.
• Ensure the establishment, where not available yet, of at least one fully functional library and well maintained and active reading club in each of the 20 LGAs and 37 • LCDAs in Lagos State, and subsequently in at least a quarter of the wards in the state.
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