As part of its commitment to helping students in secondary schools enhance their leadership abilities through instilling a passion for reading, a non-profit organisation, Do The Dream Youth Development Initiative has donated a library to Ayedere Ajibola Senior Grammar School, Ketu-Ikosi.

According to the Executive Director, Do The Dream Youth Development Initiative, Adebusuyi Olutayo Olumadewa the idea is also to help the pupils to bridge the reading and learning inequalities that exist in Nigeria between public and private schools.  He added that the library project is being executed with support from Life Development Centre, United States.

The library will teach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by teaching young people how to localise the SDGs from where they are with what they have. 

With the SDGs Corner, we intend to raise young leaders that will cause the wheels to spin.

“We have plans to build 64 additional leadership libraries across the state,” Olutayo added

Speaking at the event, which also celebrates the 2022 International Literacy Day, Mrs Anike Adekanye, the Tutor General/Permanent Secretary District II, noted that Literacy Day is a special day in the lives of students globally, appreciating the initiative and the partners for keying into the reality that the government cannot do it alone.  

While encouraging the scholars, Adekanye, who read a portion of a book, said: “Today has been declared internationally as World Literacy Day to emphasise the importance of education in the world. 

“Education is the best legacy which enables you to distinguish yourself among your peers, gives you a good job and above all makes you a better person in the community among others,” she said. 

Urging organisations to embrace initiatives like this, Barrister Evans Ufeli said the most significant investment we can make in the life of children is in education. It is what is invested in them that will manifest. When we are long gone, they will take over. The biggest challenge  Nigeria has is that we are not investing in the youths. The youth have grown, and they are the ones causing us problems. If people are educated they will not strap bombs on themselves and blow themselves up. If they are educated, they will not defecate on the roadside. 

Unfortunately, the people we did not educate are the role models to our children.”

The event’s highlight was the reading session which had three female students of Ayedere Ajibola Senior Grammar School reading eloquently from different sections of the book to the administration of school administrators, teachers and students.