With the digital revolution in full swing, stakeholders in the Nigerian literary community in collaboration with the British Council have identified the need to sustain a reading culture in the society.
The Akada Children’s Book Festival (ACBF) – a result of that collaboration – and the first of its kind is slated for 27 April in Lagos, Nigeria. The event, according to a statement received by BusinessDay is a celebration of some of Nigeria’s renowned children’s book authors, illustrators and story tellers.
The organiser Clever Clogs Books is the publisher of a series of Nigerian themed children’s books such as Diary of a Toddler, Kobold the Antelope; Tobi Visits the Conservatory and the soon-to-be-released Why You Do You Wash Your Hands.
The festival is targeted at children, parents, teachers, children’s book authors and illustrators.
“The aim of the ACBF is to spark and sustain a healthy literary lifestyle from childhood and encourage literary creativity in Nigeria,” the statement noted.
The ACBF is also expected to reignite the appetite of parents and guardians, teachers and caregivers to provide the necessary foundations for their children to aspire towards intellectual soundness.
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One of the highpoints of the Festival will be the official launch and public reading of the book ‘Why You Do You Wash Your Hands?’ authored by Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi. ‘Why You Do You Wash Your Hands?’ is a creative and engaging children’s picture book that encourages simple yet effective hygiene tips. The book will be published in a combo set of four languages: English; Yoruba; Hausa and Igbo, so as to promote indigenous language usage in children’s literature. It is also the first Nigerian children’s picture book to contain stickers in four languages.
On its first edition, the Akada Book Festival is set to be a day-long fun family events that encourages a love of books and makes reading attractive.
The name “Akada” is the Yoruba translation for a “lover of literacy and books” hence the festival is expected to get children excited about literature, literacy and creativity while giving them ample tools to create bright futures and to live their dreams through the power of reading and writing.
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