The national leadership of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has this week renewed its interest in the development of imaginative and creative abilities of the Nigerian child.

This renewal was made during the World Literacy Day celebration on September 8, 2020 when the President of the association, Camillus Ukah, led a delegation of some members of his executive and members of the ANA Bayelsa State and ANA Rivers State branches on a courtesy call to the First Lady of Bayelsa State, Dr Gloria Ebibomo Douye Diri.

The auspicious occasion presented a germane opportunity for the ANA President to present A-BOOK-A-CHILD-A-WEEK PROJECT, one of ANA’s frontline literary campaign projects, to the First Lady.

According to the ANA president, the project “is designed to encourage every Nigerian school child to read at least one general interest and character-defining creative literature text every week.

“Drawing from the well-established facts that reading makes a man, it is believed that a child whose mind is groomed with inspiring literature books cannot but grow into a cultured and productive adult.”

Ukah also proposed that about one million books from 100 Nigerian writers will be required for the A-BOOK-A-CHILD-A-WEEK Project and that the work is much and would require the support of well-meaning individuals and groups at all levels of the society.

The First Lady, who is both an author and a Girl-child welfare advocate, quickly bought into the programme, stating that the character-defining aspect of literature is very vital in enriching the Girl-Child education and literacy. She further praised creative writers for the wealth of value their works bring to the society and pledged to partner with the Association in implementing A-BOOK-A-CHILD-A-WEEK Project in her state.

Members of ANA delegation included Vice President, Hajiya Farida Mohammed; Treasurer, Stella Touremi; Legal Adviser, Bentex Torlafia; Pioneer ANA Bayelsa Chairman, Nengi Illagha; former ANA Bayelsa Chairman, Engr. Emmanuel Opigo; immediate past ANA Bayelsa Chairman, Bina Nengi Illagha; and Dr. Obari Gomba from ANA Rivers.

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