THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

1. STRUCTURES TO PROMOTE READING AND WRITING DEVELOPMENT FOR AND BY YOUNG PEOPLE: THE CASE IN NIGERIA

4. THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT • Incorporation of literary texts into English language curriculum and textbooks for young people right from the primary school level. • In Nigeria, students in secondary schools are expected to read a minimum of five prose, five drama and six to twenty poems in an academic year of three terms. • Establishment of functional public libraries in Local Government Headquarters with facilities for loaning books to students.

5. The Government buys books from publishers which are given to students in pursuance of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program for public primary and secondary schools. • President Goodluck Jonathan’s establishment of a project tagged ‘BRING BACK THE BOOK’ aimed at resuscitating a dying reading culture among young people. It is set up to promote the reading of literature. • The BRING BACK THE BOOK project was kicked off in Bayelsa State in July 2012. Secondary school students were given backpacks with eight books meant to empower them to begin their own libraries.

6. THE ROLE OF CORPORATE & NON PROFIT ORGANISATIONS • Association of Nigerian Authors(ANA) organises monthly reading where young writers are encouraged to present their works. • ANA, in conjunction with other corporate entities, mostly publishers like Spectrum, Heinemann, Evans etc give literary prizes to writers. • The Nigeria Liquidified Natural Gas (NLNG) company presently sponsors the biggest award and prize for creative writings in Nigeria.

7. Publishing Houses sponsor the public performances of notable literary works for young people from secondary schools. Heinemann organized a public performance of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart to commemorate fifty years of the novel’s publication. • United Bank of Africa (UBA) Foundation has the “Read Africa” project. The 2012 edition to be chaired by Kenyan writer, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, whose book, Weep Not Child, is to be distributed to secondary school students.

8. Fidelity Bank Nigeria sponsors a week long creative writing workshop for young writers in Nigeria annually. • ANA’s organises creative writing workshops for young writers anchored by authors whose works have been encountered by the students. Participants are usually drawn from secondary schools. • Some newspapers create columns for children and young people to contribute stories and poems. • The Nigerian International Book Fair (NIBF) is a meeting place for young people, authors, publishers and teachers. It is a public/private partnership project geared towards a vibrant reading and writing culture.

9. THE ROLE OF PARENTS, INDIVIDUALS AND WRITERS • Parents are the first teachers of their children. Their interest in their children’s academic development cannot be overemphasised. • Parents are the ones who can get publishers for their children’s creative works. Some of the books I brought are products of such support by the young writers’ parents. • Every adult should cultivate the habit of reading, buying and giving books to children as birthday gifts and prizes.

10. Creation of private libraries in homes as well as public libraries by individuals especially writers. For example in Ibadan, a notable writer of children books, Dr. Bayo Adebowale has a public library in his village, Adeyipo in Oyo state. It is a retreat centre for writers to engage in creative writing excursions. • Award winning Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, through Farafina Trust, organises a ten day Creative Writing Workshop sponsored by Nigerian Breweries Plc annually for upcoming young writers. The 2012 workshop will feature Caine Prize winner from Kenya, Binavanga Wainana

11. THE ROLES OF INSTITUTIONS AND SCHOOLS • The Department of English, University of Ibadan invites writers to book readings and give talks to undergraduates and secondary school students. Commonwealth Prize winner, Nwaubani, was the guest in 2010. • The Department of Theatre Arts and the Department of Classics, University of Ibadan recently had a weeklong stage presentation of Femi Osofisan’s Women of Owu, an adaptation of Euripedes’ Trojan Women, for secondary school students in Ibadan. It was sponsored by NNPC and Chevron.

12. Some secondary schools create reading/discussion groups based on books the students are to read. For example, there are schools in Nigeria that give all their students a target of reading specific numbers of literary texts per term. This is possible through the availability of well equipped libraries. • Secondary Schools form Young Writers Clubs whose members write stories, poems and articles for their special notice-boards under the editorial supervision of a teacher. • In Nigeria, students are taught the basic rudiments of literature and its importance to life and human development, thus every creative work recommended for reading is expected to elicit critical response from the readers about themes, characterization, setting, plot etc.