Information Commissioner urges Youth to develop reading culture

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

The Anambra Commissioner for Information, Sir. Paul Nwosu urges youths to always develop a reading culture, saying that for one to be a good leader, one must be a good reader because reading constantly gives one knowledge and power to be able to fit in society.

Nwosu said this at the 2022 conference organized by the Nigerian Library Association, Anambra State Chapter at Prof. Kenneth Dike Central E- Library Awka.

According to Nwosu, the government has spent not less than N1.5 Billion to create a digital tribe, an initiative of Gov. Charles Soludo aimed at empowering 100,000 youths with emerging digital skills and connecting them to jobs globally.

“The trainees and beneficiaries of this course shall be inducted into the digital tribe consisting of Developer, Gig, Trade, Entertainment and makers, urging the youths to key in.

Speaking on the theme ‘Library Engagements for Sustainable Digital Society’, Prof. Nkechinyere Nwokoye, Director Centre for Arts, Culture and Humanities, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka explained that Library engagement helps to foster sustainable digital society.

According to her, some of these engagements come in ICTs, where the library has adopted the use of electronic data processing medium hardware and software techniques, website development, information, internet use and evaluation.

Others are information storage and retrieval to encourage universal access to cyber space which the service are made available for both the staff and the public while the staff as an active intermediary between users and resources require training from time to time.

Nwokoye explained that Nigeria Library Association is creating records and archives management activities like workshops and seminars which brings them to the limelight.

She further said that the role of Library in digital era is to provide intellectual access to information in any format; to evaluate available sources of information; to organize and structure as well as ensure preservation of information.

“Other library engagements include culture promotion as the staff of the library reflect the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the community to ensure cultural awareness, reflect the community the Library serves, encourage communication like the new Igbo spelling B, as well as reading and writing skills among learners and drills.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Library Association Anambra State Chapter, Mrs Nkechi Udeze said that the purpose for the conference is to retrain the Library staff to go for information and updates to sustain the digital society.

She thanked the keynote speaker, Mrs. Nwokoye and other dignitaries for making the conference a success.

The event futured an award presentation to the former Information Commissioner, Mr C Don Adinuba represented by Mr Uzor Nzeribe.