By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Some Nigerian children will be engaged in interactive reading sessions this week by employees of Airtel Nigeria as part of activities to mark World Book Day.
This is to encourage pupils and students to embrace the reading culture, which is almost dead in Nigeria. The Airtel employees will also donate thousands of reading books to children across its adopted primary schools in Nigeria through the award-winning Employee Volunteer Scheme (Airtel EVS).
This will kick off on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at the Oremeji Primary School, Ajegunle, Lagos, and Yahaya Hamza Primary School, Zaria Kaduna while the train will move to the Iyeru-Okin primary school, Offa, Kwara state and Presbyterian Primary School, Cross River State on April 17.
The final leg of the programme will hold at St John’s Primary School, Ogun State and Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo State on April 28.
Airtel Nigeria’s Adopt-a-School programme is targeted at rehabilitating the physical structure of underserved, rural schools while providing educational resources for the children and capacity building support for teachers on an ongoing basis.
“Knowledge is power, and books are full of it. We want children, no matter their family background or economic status, to have their imagination stimulated and to expand their understanding of the world.
“Indeed, Airtel hopes to inspire and uplift as many children as we can – even underprivileged ones – so that they can strive for a better future and contribute to nation-building.
“Access to education is at the heart of our Sustainability strategy and I am glad that my colleagues are not just pursuing this vision at a corporate level but also at a personal level,” the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Surendran Chemmenkotil, said.
World Book Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on April 23, 1995. The theme for this year is You Are a Reader.