President of Changemaker Publications and author, Dr. Elvis Ukpaka, has revealed that the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has approved and recommended his latest book, ‘Readers are Leaders’ to be included in the curriculum for all secondary schools in Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, Dr. Ukpaka said after the book was published, his team approached NERDC and followed the due process on how to get the book approved. He said the process took over a year but that after due diligence and assessment by eminent scholars in the education sector, the book was finally approved and recommended as a good reading material for all secondary schools and the general public.
“We want to notify the general public on the approval and recommendation of our latest publication, ‘Readers are Leaders’ for all secondary schools in Nigeria and the general public. As a youth advocate and President of Youth with a Vision, I have the privilege of promoting the reading culture among the youth in Nigeria and have come to realise that a lot still needs to be done to revive our poor reading culture. Hence, the need, drive and passion to write this book as my own contribution to the revival of reading culture among the youth and general public.
“After the book was published, we took the initiative to approach Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) in Abuja, and we followed the due process on how to get the book approved. The process took over a year and after due diligence and assessment of the book by eminent scholars in the education sector, the book was finally approved and recommended as a good reading material for all secondary schools in Nigeria and the general public.
“The NERDC said the book worthy to be part of the curriculum for secondary school students. In the stage that we are now is how to get it to be distributed to all schools across the country and that is why we are appealing to the Federal, State and Local governments, corporate and non- governmental organsiations, religious bodies and philanthropists to contribute immensely by way of sponsorship of 10 million copies of the book for distribution to students in secondary schools across Nigeria. We want this book to get to every Nigerian student to encourage them,” he said.
He said the purpose of the book is to spark a renewed passion for reading among the old and young and for readers to learn how to become a solution provider by knowledge.
“In the book, readers will learn how to spark a renewed passion for reading, how to become a solution provider by knowledge, how to set up a personal development library, how to become an ‘A’ student at school, how to become a better leader in both private and public sectors, how to become a star employee at work through knowledge acquisition, how to become better parents in aiding your child’s education and ways to revive the lost reading culture in our society. The book will be a compendium on the culture of reading in our society,” he said.