Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja, with agency report
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has tasked the youths to leverage on the transformational power of books, in the quest to succeed in chosen endeavours.
Obaseki made the call on the occasion of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) World Book and Copyright Day, celebrated on April 23, each year.
The governor said: “The printing era disrupted the cultures which preceded it, by increasing access to knowledge and wisdom on an unprecedented scale. Ever since, the pace of human advancement has been supersonic, thanks to the deluge of information contained in books.”
He urged youths to “appreciate the wealth of knowledge contained in books, apply same and join the growing army of global youths, in the knowledge economy, who are responsible for modern inventions.”
He assured that his administration “is set to commence the reconstruction of public schools across the state, in the coming days, and, on completion, the schools will have rich libraries, where students can read and carry out researches.”
Meanwhile, wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo, has emphasised the need for a good and strong reading culture amongst Nigerians, especially students.
The vice president’s wife made the call when she spoke during the World Book and Copyright Day celebration, organised by the United States of America Embassy, in Abuja.
She said the message of books and what they represent cannot be over emphasised, adding that in the pages of a book, “we can travel to distant lands, meet people of different cultures and experience other environments.”
She further said “we discover our history, where we come from and what we are made of, as we read about those who went before us.”
Osinbajo added that “words in a book informs us and ensures that we stand on the shoulders of those who before as we walk through our journeys of life.”