Engr. Yunusa Ya’u Urges Nigerian Students to Revive Reading Culture
By Mustapha Salisu
The Managing Consultant of Fombina Imprints Limited, Engr. Yunusa Zakaria Ya’u, has called on Nigerian students at all levels to rekindle and sustain a strong reading culture, emphasizing the pivotal role of books in national development.
Ya’u made this call during a symposium held in Kano on Wednesday, organized to commemorate the 2025 World Book Day. The event was themed: “Crisis of Standards, Decline of Reading Culture, and the Challenges of Publishing in the Digital Era: The Place of Books in the Restoration and Transformation of Our Education Sector.”
Represented by Malam Isa Garba, Ya’u highlighted that celebrating World Book Day with students fosters a deeper connection between readers, writers, and their environment.
“We aim to revive the reading culture and celebrate the contributions of authors and publishers by engaging with their works, exploring their ideas, and appreciating the transformative power of written content,” he said.
He also encouraged students to make meaningful use of both physical and digital books, including mobile technology. “We urge young people to explore content that addresses real-life issues, rather than limiting their phone use to entertainment alone,” Ya’u added.
Other speakers at the symposium — including educators, authors, and publishing professionals — echoed the importance of cultivating a vibrant reading and publishing culture as a foundation for knowledge-driven development.
Participants, particularly pupils and students from various schools across Kano, described the event as timely and inspiring, noting that it reignited their appreciation for reading.
World Book Day, celebrated globally every April 23, was established by UNESCO in 1995 to promote reading, publishing, and the protection of intellectual property through copyright. The date marks the death anniversaries of literary legends such as William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, symbolizing the enduring power of literature in uniting people and shaping societies.
