YMCA Establishes Library Hub To Promote Reading Culture in Kaduna
The Young Men Christian Association YMCA, has established a Library hub to promote reading culture and Prevent Drug Abuse amongst youths and adults in the country.
President of the Association in Kaduna Mrs. Jedida Istifanus Akpoko stated this while receiving Academic Materials including Novels, History Books, Mathematics Books, Literature and Several other text Books donated by an NGO, known as Rambling Thoughts in Kaduna.
Mrs. Jedida Akpoko who was represented by first vice president of YMCA, Markus Labessa expressed concern over diminishing reading culture due to social media influence and over dependent on artificial intelligence.
Mrs, Jedida Akpoko explained that the Association encourages youth to be up and doing in their lives endeavor stating that the donation will help young men to develop interest in reading books because the reading culture is dying.
Coordinator of the Rambling Thoughts Sim Emmanuel, said one of the mandates of the organization was to distribute educational materials including text books and they have done that in Rigasa, Ungwar Muazu Ungwar Sunusi and Narayi communities in Kaduna.
“This is not the first book drive, We’ve done four in Rigasa, Angwan Muazu, Angwan Sanusi, and Narayi. So the idea is to foster the love of literature, to make sure that people have access to books. We’re trying to foster literature. We’re trying to make sure people maybe divert their attention from drugs abuse, and other stuff to come back to literature.”
In His address, Chairman Medical and Health Workers Union NAFDAC branch, Comrade Jerry Makeri decried the high level of drug abuse especially by youths and stress the need for NAFDAC Authority to collaborate with YMCA in the fight against Drug Abuse.
“Even at the level of the union in NAFDAC, like the Medical Health Workers Union, we are also ensuring that we contribute our own quota to making sure that we have a set of Nigerian youths that are completely free from drug and substance abuse.
In a presentation, a lecturer with Kaduna State University Professor Simon Katung said without inculcating reading culture on the youths a lot of courses and professions will suffer in Nigeria Institutions.
“We are not talking about only particular areas. All manner of disciplines. Now we are talking about the sciences. If we don’t have a good science base, for example, there’s a problem with the future. The engineering sector will be compromised. The medicine, medical aspect, even the social aspects. If you don’t have people reading, it’s a problem. And another problem is on History, the Nigerian history should be part and parcel of our curriculum”
Professor Katung emphasized that Mathematics has been a major barrier in Nigeria Institutions as such, he took it upon himself to teach students from Primary upto higher institutions.
“I found out that mathematics is a major barrier that makes students to move from the creative areas to certain areas and I started teaching the youth down from primary school to the secondary school. And I found that it was giving result. Most of them were first class, those who came through my training.”
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