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ANA-OYO PRO URGES THE PUBLIC TO CULTIVATE READING CULTURE

Mr. Busayo Fakunle, PRO, Association of Nigerian Authors, Oyo State Chapter. 

 

It is a great honour to stand in front of this highly distinguished gathering of noble men and women and a greater honour to stand in for a great man of invaluable character, Mr Biola Saka Layonu , Chairman , Association of Nigerian Authors, Oyo State Chapter. I humbly like to stand on the existing protocols sirs and mas. My name is Busayo Fakunle , PRO, Association of Nigerian Authors Oyo State Chapter and Fellow, Ebedi International Writers Residency.


It is important to first thank Mentoring Assistance for Youths and Entrepreneurs Initiative (MAYEIN) for organising this kind of very relevant programme in a time like this to mark this year's World Book and Copyright Day and also celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the Not-for-Profit Organization, based in Oyo State, Nigeria whose mission is to promote positive youth development and gender equality.


Youth development plays a crucial role in nation-building and I won't be wrong to say that the development of any nation is  dependent on the desirabilities and abilities of the youths to make positive changes in their drive to change societal narratives. Suffice to say that youths are the backbones of any nation and serious attention is expected to be given to those people within such age bracket because they possess the strength to make their voices to be heard on several issues of national importance. 


I want to charge us all in this hall that there is that need for us as young people to discover our talents, reorientate our minds and be ready to play our part towards the development of our great nation. 


However, the theme for this year's World Book and Copyright Day being "Read…so you never feel alone" aligns with the objectives of ANA-Oyo and MAYEIN. It is an attempt to bring people together to celebrate and revalidates the essence of reading. The important benefits of reading cannot be over-emphasized and today presents another opportunity for everyone to pick up books. Like I recently noted, Reading is really magical. Then writers are magicians. I love the way writers grab and draw readers into their characters' successes and failures and how it affects readers' character building process in a way. Reading is a means to leave the immediate environment and live in worlds created by words. It is then not an understatement to say that some individuals are product of certain characters they read about in books. Perhaps more reason we need to be conscious and careful in selecting books that our younger youths read. 


Like MAYEIN, ANA-Oyo has been encouraging and promoting the reading culture in schools and donating copies of good books to libraries across the state. We believe books too are capable and are veritable tools to instilling moral values and needed competence in our children towards national development. My Chairman believes in the words of J.J. RAWLINGS  that 'something very magical can happen when you read a good book'. Again as we celebrate the World Book and Copyright Day, I urge us all to cultivate reading culture as it is a window to see the world, differently. 


I will round off this piece in the words of The Director- General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John O. Asein who clearly noted recently in Lagos that 'as we strive to protect copyright, we should also be committed to the sustainable use of copyright products, such as books to promote the values and aspirations of society. In promoting respect for copyright, we must also strive to maintain a congenial atmosphere for creative enterprises to flourish.'


Thank you for listening to me. Once again, Happy World Book and Copyright Day. I wish MAYEIN a happy 10th year anniversary. May God bless Oyo State. May God bless Nigeria.


Fakunle Busayo Nsi 

PRO, Ana Oyo State Chapter.

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