By Isaac Newton Tetteh
Accra May 27, GNA – The Ayawaso Central Municipal directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has observed the 2023 Accra World Book Capital (AWBC) with a reading party for local students and residents.
The Accra World Book Capital, 2023 campaign is aimed at using books and reading to promote positive social change in the city of Accra. The week long event started from Monday and expected to end on Friday 28 April 2023 .
The event is on the theme: Reading to connect minds for social transformation.
The AWBC is a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sponsored policy aimed at inculcating the habit of reading in children and the societies at large.
Accra is the 4th city in Africa to win the World Book Capital status.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mrs Rhoda Akueteh, Ayawaso Central NCCE director, stated that,the reading event had offered students and residents to at least read something from a book.
She noted that reading was very essential in early childhood development, saying parents and other stakeholders must uphold the spirit of reading amongst the citizenry.
Mrs Akueteh said the reading party concept would be replicated in other communities within the Municipality and called on duty bearers to create the needed awareness.
Mr Emmanuel Benefo, Public Relations Officer, Ayawaso Central Municipal Education directorate, expressed gratitude to the organisers, stressing that poor reading habit was an academic defect, plaguing many local students and that constant reading would help elevate their horizon.
He said the municipal education directorate would continue to support such programmes to whip the interest of students to read more to acquire knowledge.
Every year, since 2001, UNESCO awards the World Book Capital title to a designated city. The title is used to promote the domestic book industry, libraries, books, reading, literacy awareness creation, book culture, tourism and the cultural heritage of the city.
Accra’s winning of the 2023 title is therefore an acknowledgement of UNESCO’s recognition of the numerous efforts being made to develop the habit of reading and promotion of books in Accra and Ghana as a whole.
GNA