Vice Chairman for Education Committee of the Senate, Dr. Ekong Sampson; Chairman of Nigerian Book Fair Trust, Mr. Dare Oluwatuyi; President of Nigerian Publishers Association, Dr. Uchenna Anioke; Chairman/MD of Accessible Publishers Limited, Mr. Adedapo Gbadega; Founder of Uyo Book Club, Dr. Udeme Nana and patron of Raffia City Book Club, Ikot Ekpene, Hon. Abom Tony Esu will be honoured.

This holds at the third National Conference and yearly general meeting of the Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBPR) scheduled to hold at the University of Lagos today, September 27, 2023 and tomorrow, 28.

A statement from the reading promotions body says the recipients have been chosen on account of their varied contributions to the promotion of the reading culture in Nigeria through the years.

The conference, which has as theme, ‘The Science of Reading and Early Literacy Development: The Role of Parents, Educators, Libraries and Book Clubs’ also features the Chief Academic Officer of Lastinger Center for Education, University of Florida, U.S., Dr. Paige Pullen as keynote speaker while the National Librarian/CEO, National Library of Nigeria, Professor Chinwe Anunobi, will chair the session.

To play prominent roles during the conference are the National Library of Nigeria, National Library Association, Committee for Relevant Art and Association of Nigerian Authors. There will be a session on ‘Bookselling’ that will be moderated by Mr. Toyin Akinosho, which will have Mr. Dare Oluwatuyi, Mr. Dotun Eyinade and Farida Ladipo-Ajayi, as discussants.

A session on the ‘Lagos-Liberia Road tour’ Mr. Georges Gambadatoun embarked upon will be moderated by Anote Ajelorou, the Guinness World Record longest reading hours by Mr. John Obot will have Bayode Treasures Olawumi moderating it while the ‘Book Clubs’ session will have Dr. Udeme Nana and others in session.

The event would also be used to select the Nigerian Book City 2025, a practice that began in 2021, with Uyo being chosen as the first Nigerian National Book Clubs City. Lagos is the current Book Clubs City and the mantle passes onto Yenagoa in 2024.

NBRP was established in February 2020 and previous National Conferences and AGMs have been held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. The conference is being held in conjunction with Transcultural Writers Network of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos.