80% fail NECO, WAEC, JAMB over dearth of reading culture

Dearth of reading culture and absence of
equipped libraries have been identified as the
two causative agents in the rate of failure in
WASSCE, NECO and JAMB among our youths.Mr Kolawole Oyeyemi, Founder, Ignite Africa
Leadership Foundation who spoke while
launching a world class Library at Ikeja said: “The
reading culture is almost dead ; the libraries are
either nonexistent or empty of relevant books.”
Oyeyemi who pegged the rate of failure in
WASSCE, NECO and JAMB at over 80 per cent,
described the scenario as a national
embarrassment that only emphasis on reading
culture.
He posited, “If you give a child a book, he is
going to star t reading. If a child starts reading,
he is going to start thinking. If a child starts
thinking, he is going to imagine. And if a child
experiences the beauty of imagination, there is
no telling how high he can soar!”
He asked, “What does the future hold for a
nation with a youthful population that is not
interested in studying, and to whom the reading
culture is unattractive.”
Sustainable development
He maintained that the consequences are at
variance with sustainable development, adding,
“this is where Ignite Africa comes in.”
He averred that the NGO wants to turn up a crop
of Nigerian who are intelligent to take the world,
nothing that if you don’t read, you can’t lead.
The launched library which is designed for
primary, secondary and university students,
according to him, will also serves as a research
centre for undergraduates and professionals.
Meanwhile, the Project Director, Winnie Aduayi
disclosed that Ignite Africa currently has about
4500 books to serve students, while expecting
65,000 imported books.
According to her, 90 percent of the Ignite Africa
books come from the US, because it is cheaper,
adding that the cost of similar books in Nigeria
are relatively higher.
She said: “Ignite Africa has impacted hundreds of
school children across the Nation. “We have
established over 50 book clubs and Book-To-
Child connection groups across schools in Lagos
State; Onelga region, Portharcourt, and Bonny
Island in Rivers State. We provide these books
free to them for reading.”
Aduayi urged every person to register freely
online www.ignitenigeria.org to enable them
use the books and internet computers, stating
that the library opens 8:30am - 4:30pm from
Monday to Friday, while on Saturday, it opens 10am - 4:30pm.