On October 1, while Nigeria marked its 65th Independence anniversary with parades and speeches, another celebration of freedom unfolded at Millennium Park, Abuja, the freedom found in books.
Families gathered under leafy trees for the first edition of READventures, an initiative that seeks to redefine reading as a joyful, communal experience. The tagline says it all: Relax. Explore. Adventures.
Independence Day reminds Nigerians of where we were in the colonial years, the struggles for freedom, and the nation’s journey since then through growth, recession, resilience, and hope. For Dr. Titilayo Kayode-Alabi, Abuja-based paediatrician, author, and convener of READventures, that same spirit of independence is embedded in stories.
“Independence and freedom is not just a war against colonialism,” she explained. “It is also the ability to sink into a book and be carried away with its content losing all cares and fears immersed in a world that first existed in the author’s imagination.”
Children between the ages of 3 and 10 became the heartbeat of the gathering. Each child came with their favourite African storybook folktales, picture books, and contemporary African children’s literature. Parents looked on with pride, cheering and lending their voices during read-aloud sessions.
The programme featured 30 minutes of silent reading, storytelling circles for preschoolers, a “Why I Love My Book” session, and collaborative storytelling where older kids built a tale one sentence at a time. Breaks came alive with playful activities like hoops, chess, and puzzles, keeping the energy flowing between reading circles.
One of the highlights was a painting session coordinated by a local artist, where each child added a brushstroke to a collective canvas a powerful symbol of imagination and unity.
Dr. Kayode-Alabi emphasised that the books chosen for the event were all authored by Africans or Black writers. “Our goal is to help children see themselves in the pages of their stories,” she said. “Reading should not only be educational; it should be fun. And it should reflect who we are.”
Globally, the culture of reading for fun is under threat. In some countries, initiatives have emerged to revive it. In the United Kingdom, for instance, 2026 has been declared the National Year of Reading. Dr. Kayode-Alabi believes Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind.
“The culture of reading for fun may be lost in a few decades if we do not intentionally cultivate it,” she noted. “The time to start is now. Reading is not just about passing exams, it builds empathy, confidence, and imagination.”
For many parents in attendance, READventures offered more than just an event; it offered a vision of what family reading can look like. One parent described it as “a reminder that reading can be as playful as a football match or a day in the park.”
As Nigeria reflects on 65 years of independence, READventures reframes the conversation: true independence is not only political, but personal. It is the freedom to imagine, to tell our own stories, and to explore worlds within books.
In the words of Dr. Kayode-Alabi: “Every time a child opens a book and smiles, we celebrate independence anew. That is the story READventures hopes to keep alive.”
