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Abuja Book City launches Celebrity Read Aloud

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  • January 29, 2025
  • 4 min read
Abuja Book City launches Celebrity Read Aloud

By Editor

WHERE words meet wonder, Abuja’s ascent to Book City status is a testament to the power of literary imagination, community engagement and collective vision. As the pages turn, a vibrant tapestry of literary imagination, community and reality unfolds, weaving Abuja’s transformative journey to becoming a thriving Book City.

The Network of Book Clubs and Reading Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), the National Library of Nigeria and LightRay! Media will host a ‘Celebrity Read Aloud’ event on Thursday, March 30, 2025. The event will feature an impressive lineup of celebrity speakers and readers, including Lady Umukoro, author of Nigeria’s bestselling mental health crime story Distortion, Bassey Ekpo Bassey Jr., Funmilayo Braithwaith while a librarian Chief Nyaknno Osso will be the keynote speaker. Head of Branch, National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Abuja Oye Omolara Margaret will host the event.

In a world where technology dominates our daily lives, a group of passionate book lovers in Abuja is on a mission to revive the joy of reading and make their city a hub for literary excellence. Welcome to the Abuja Book City initiative, a groundbreaking project that aims to promote reading culture, foster community engagement and inspire a love for learning. The journey began in 2023, when the Abuja Chapter of NBRP successfully defended its bid to act as Book City host in 2025. This provisional recognition marked the starting point for a series of events, partnerships and initiatives designed to make Abuja a beacon for book lovers.

Under the leadership of NBRP Coordinator for Abuja Chief Loye Olowookere, his Deputy Coordinator Hajia Rasheedat and the General Secretary Dr. Chido Onumah, the team has worked tirelessly to build a community of readers, writers and literacy advocates. Dr. Onuma brings his expertise to the table, ensuring that the initiative remains true to its mission.

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President, Network of Book Clubs and Reading Promoters in Nigeria, Mr. Richard Mammah

One of the key milestones achieved by the team is the creation of a brand identity for the Book City. The logo and theme, designed to reflect the city’s rich cultural heritage, have been unveiled, and promotional materials such as t-shirts, banners and face caps are ready for pick up by Abuja book lovers to promote the message of read advocacy.

But Abuja Book City is more than just a brand – it’s a movement. The team has organised a series of events, including a virtual awareness campaign ‘What Are You Reading?’, participation in the Education Resource Centre (ERC) Book Fair and a courtesy call on the National Librarian Prof. Veronica Anunobi and the Director General of Nigerian Copyright Commission(NCC) Dr. John Asein, respectively. These efforts have helped to build a community of book lovers and generate excitement around the initiative.

As Abuja Book City gears up for its official launch, LightRay! Media, a multi-award-winning media, communications, and publishing organization, is at the forefront of promoting new paradigm shifts for storytelling by Nigerian and African authors. By adapting to the changing reading habits of modern readers, particularly Gen-Z and digital natives, LightRay! Media is revolutionising the literary landscape in Nigeria and Africa.

The Executive Director of LightRay! Media Lady Ejiro Umukoro highlights a disturbing trend in Nigeria’s publishing industry: that despite having a population of over 200 million the three papers mills in the country were allowed to collapse. Disturbingly, Asians have stepped in to provide this essential service that has grave inplications for the country’s educational system, a development she said calls for urgent attention from the minister in charge of the creative economy and local businessmen and women to address the deficit wiith its potential for employment-generation, engagement and promotion of creative skillsets in the publishing and literary ecosystems.

“Reading is the foundation upon which all learning is built,” says Chief Olowookere. “By creating a culture of reading in Abuja, we’re not only enriching the lives of our citizens but also building a brighter future for our community.”

Join the Abuja Book City movement today and be part of a journey that will inspire, educate and uplift. Together, let’s turn books’ pages and build better futures.

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