Credit: Emelia Nkrumah
Accra, April 27, GNA – Mr Jonathan Earl Nii Adjiri Sackey, Municipal Director for Korle Klottey, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has urged Ghanaians, especially the youth to take their book reading very seriously to widen their scope of knowledge.
He said people read regularly they could also learn various subjects from history, science, literature and philosophy.
“It is very good to read books because it contains so many ideas, research put together. So, I am encouraging the young ones to engage in book reading, we need to challenge ourselves to know how many books one has read in a year,” he added.
According to him every year, since 2001, UNESCO awards the World Book Capital title to a designated city, adding that the title was used to promote the domestic book industry, libraries, books, reading, literacy awareness creation, book culture, tourism and the cultural heritage of the host city
Speaking at the Accra World Book Capital (AWBC)-2023 in Accra, Mr Sackey noted that reading books allowed one to escape from the pressures of daily life and immerse in a different world.
The Accra World Book Capital is a one-year programme expected to run from April 23, 2023, to March 2024, targeting the youth within communities at the regional and national levels and engaging them in several activities.
This 48-marathon reading session is being facilitated by the NCCE and will take place from April 24 to April 28, 2023.
The planned programmes to mark the title this year will also contribute substantially to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The event is being organised by NCCE in collaboration with the Ghana Book Development Council (GBDC) to implement the Accra World Book Capital, 2023, through reading on the theme “Reading to Connect Minds for Social Transformation” to promote a positive social change and transformation among the youth.
The Commission’s core mandate was to create and promote civic education, inculcating in the citizenry the awareness of their rights and obligations, including the responsibility of defending the Constitution against all forms of abuse and violations.
Mr Sackey reiterated the need to encourage reading among children of school-going age.
He encouraged children to also read and understand the 1992 constitution of Ghana, newspapers and other relevant creative literature.
He said Accra won the 2023 title due to the acknowledgement of UNESCO’s recognition of the numerous efforts being made to develop the habit of reading and promoting books in Accra and Ghana as a whole.
Mr Sackey explained that reading was an essential basic tool for personal and communal development, equipped individuals with strong analytical skills, improves writing skills and boosts creativity and imagination.
He, therefore, encouraged the youth to read books to educate and acquire knowledge to empower themselves, to engender social change and transformation.
Mr Daniel Ofosu Asamoah, Senior Literacy Promotion Manager, Ghana Book Development Council, and a member of the Management Committee of the Accra World Book Concept (AWBC), stressed that AWBC aimed at using books and reading to promote positive social change in the city of Accra.
According to him, there was the need to develop interest in reading, adding that it makes one creative and helps in getting a lot of information to express ourselves.
“Reading helps us to get enough vocabulary to express yourself, reading gives you confidence because you can stay in Ghana and travel to every part of the country or the world by reading,” he noted.
“Tell a friend to tell a friend that we are reading in 2023 to help Accra to reach many people as possible to develop their skills in reading,” he added.
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) is an Independent Governance Institution mandated under the 1992 Constitution to promote and sustain democracy through civic education.
Over the years, the Commission has delivered on this mandate through flagship programmes and initiatives, community engagements collaborations among others in partnership with relevant stakeholders.
The slogan for the reading programme is “Akwaaba, Let’s Read.” This seeks to encourage everyone to read a book to educate and acquire knowledge to empower themselves to engender social change and transformation in Accra and Ghana and the world at large.
The Accra World Book Capital (AWBC), 2023 campaign is aimed at using books and reading to promote positive social change in the city of Accra, Ghana.
The AWBC project also intends to use books and reading to raise public awareness of the opportunities book reading presents by changing people’s minds, and empowering people to appreciate the effects of social problems.
The overall objective of the reading programme is to cause a social transformation by empowering people, especially, the youth to read books.
The entire exercise was officially launched by the President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo on Monday, 24th April 2023 at the Accra International Conference Centre.
As part of the week-long opening ceremony activities, the NCCE will undertake marathon reading sessions in designated centres and communities.
The primary target groups are people in the communities and areas where the exhibition platforms are being created.
As much as possible, NCCE Officers will ensure readers cut across the population groups such as youth (in-school & out-of-school), women, Persons With Disabilities, etc.
GNA