Amidst the decline in reading culture, the Edo State government has taken steps to reverse the trend among students. These efforts encourage a renewed interest in reading and improve literacy rates.
In efforts to promote reading culture, Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo state has officially opened the 2nd Edo International Book and Arts Festival to celebrate the state’s literature and artistic culture.
According to the announcement, the festival running until June 8th is among the activities scheduled for Education Week. designed to promote a reading culture among students and ignite a thirst for knowledge.
“It featured performances from renowned poet Nana Asaase, the writer King who sips communion wine from the calabash, and the legendary Lebo Mashile, South Africa’s award-winning Queen of Oral Poetry,” it said.
The festival led by Joan Osa-Oviawe, Commissioner for Education will serve as a platform to showcase the state’s achievements in nurturing young talent and fostering creative expression over the past eight years.
In his remarks, the Governor stated that the festival represented the undeniable creativity of the Edo citizens as the cradle of ancient civilization. He reiterated that the International Book and Arts Festival had become an annual tradition to celebrate creatives’ ingenuity and literacy reforms in the education sector.
He pledged that the government has done everything possible to reform education in the state to ensure that reading is imbibed as a culture from an early age.
