By: Collins Mbakwe
Shallara Secondary School Maiduguri, Borno State Thursday 3rd March 2022 celebrated this year’s World Book Day in grand style.
Recall that World Book Day was created on April 23rd, 1995, by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading culture.
The connection between that date and books, however, was made in Spain in 1923, as it is the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, a prominent Spanish Chronicler.
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During the period allocated for observing the World Book Day, the students were allowed access to several books of their choice, some students recited some Shakespearean lines while some read to the listening ears of all.
Speaking during the mini-symposium organized by the school in commemoration of this year’s World Book Day, the Director of the school, Mrs Zulai Mtaku said that it is an indisputable truth that the world would not be the same without books, saying that books have been educating and inspiring the world for thousands of years, adding that World Book Day deserved to be celebrated.
Continuing, Mrs Mtaku noted that World Book Day has a strong connection with schools, and it’s used worldwide to allow school children to engage with reading and their favourite books. She pointed out that it’s not just a day to indulge a love of books, but also a day where children and young people can gain access to books.
While describing reading as ‘liberator of the minds’, she urged the students of the college to sustain the reading habit which has been instilled in them over the years.
In a similar development, the proprietress of Innovative Schools, Maiduguri, Hajjiya Amina Makintami described World Book Day as a ‘special day’. She used the medium to advise students the world over to always take their studies seriously.
“To become truly relevant in our society, reading of books is key. Students should always strive to read lots of books as that help to widen their horizon,” she said.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Athal Clinic, Polo, Maiduguri, Dr J. A Jatau started that books are as important to human development as water is to life.
He called on parents, teachers, and all stakeholders not to relent in ensuring that students the world over are inculcated in the habit of reading. “Young ones must be made to understand how pivotal reading is to the human race,” he added.
