I believe the next big thing for Nigeria and Africa at large is to evolve into a massive reading culture, here I do not mean reading to acquire certificate but reading to know, to ask questions, to seek answers , to be entertained and to do so as a way of life.
When the kids walk away from the television, the youths drop their phones and find somewhere to pour themselves into books then know the revolution is near, but when libraries are everywhere instead of churches and mosques and our youths will rather be in the library instead of being on social media then we have begun our commitment to greatness.
Nations suffer from various socio development defect depending on their history but in the case of Nigeria and Africa we suffer because we lack infrastructure of the mind. This is why we are always stucked at the rudimentary stage of ideas and institution. This civilization will be led by people who are dedicated to the idea of constantly innovating and stretching the mind.
Democracy, capitalism, and other great human endeavor will always be at the mercy of the mind, they are made for man and not the other way around. Give me a hamlet with library and readers and I will build a civilization but give me a nation without libraries and readers then I will show you the gate of hell.
A reading community produced Archimedes, Newton, Shakesphere, Galileo, Thomas Jefferson and men who moved this world, The Reading community started the Stoic movement, The Magna carta, the Renaissance, the Protestants movement and others If you do not lay the foundation of the mind all other social and physical infrastructure will crumble.
Reading is spiritual even God wrote a book, he made men to author Bible and the Quran on his behalf. God reads! The personal and public organization that is lacking in our lives and the community at large can be redeemed by books.To the parents, Guardians, Leaders, thinkers it is time to read aggressively, let us direct the youths to the libraries, make books available to the youths, encourage the children to read.
Read! The ambiance of books elevates , consistent practice of reading grounds the soul around principles. A man who will not read cannot be at the best of his or her creative freedom.The challenge for this generation especially the elites who are meant to drive the destiny of the country is to read and lead by example and also create a befitting environment to promote reading.
A government that cannot perform the basic task of building libraries and encouraging the citizens to read will never be able to produce cars , air planes and other complex endeavors. Nigerians go into the library to read and you will come out with a nation in your heart!
