Aliteracy is killing our reading culture

Nigerian journalist and lecturer, Ben Akponine-Samuel has decried the low level of reading culture among Nigerian youths despite the overwhelming desire for Nigerians to be educated. He said this in a recent media parley in Lagos while announcing the release date of his new novel, In Love With A Heartbreaker which is published in the United Kingdom by Tamarind Hill Press.

The author who has written hundreds of children and young adult story books attributed the low level of reading culture to aliteracy which he claims is fast creating a generation of book idlers. He explained aliteracy as the ability to read and write but without the willingness to do so. “Most people of this youth generation have reading lethargy, they are lazy to read and this is what I mean by aliteracy. They are not illiterates but they lack the willingness to read and this is caused by several factors. Reading should be fun and the best way to get them reading is to provide texts that are exciting to them. That way, we can have them enculturate the habit of reading,” he said.

Speaking on his new book which is billed for release on Valentine’s Day in the UK, the former editor of the now-rested Hearts Magazine enthused that In Love With A Heartbreaker is an exciting book with a mindboggling storyline that was carefully packaged to delight the readers. “Though the target readership expands beyond just the youths, it was written primarily to excite readers, this I did by infusing lots of intrigues and suspense. It is a novel that will keep the readers spellbound all through the over three hundred pages, I am saying this without sounding immodest.”

Asked why he chose to write a romance novel, the author who also lectures at Yaba College of Technology as an adjunct lecturer in Mass Communication had this to say. “From the title, it is too quick for readers to take it as a romance novel without being wrong. However, romance is beyond love stories, yes, it may have elements of love but I think it is more of life. In Love With A Heartbreaker is about life, yes, from the love perspective or angle but I will say more of life.”

Why he chose to publish with a foreign publisher, Akponine-Samuel said his choice was simply because he wanted to have his book on the global stage and have a quality that would meet international standard. “However, I still dream of having my titles with Nigerian publishers. I am in love with Ouida Books, Cassava Republic and many others and someday, I will like to see my name among their titles.”