Former Ekiti State First Lady, Bisi Fayemi, has urged Nigerian youth to embrace a culture of reading to sustain the nation’s rich legacy of literature and creative writing.
Fayemi emphasized that for Nigeria to produce future generations of prolific writers, young people need to cultivate a consistent reading habit.
Speaking in an interview on Sunday in Abuja, Fayemi said:
“Nigeria has paraded arrays of prolific writers over the years, and to ensure that more writers are produced, young people must embrace reading culture.”
She highlighted the accessibility provided by the digital age, noting that online resources eliminate geographical barriers and offer opportunities for extensive reading.
“Young people may not have access to the kinds of publications, novels, and books that we had when we were growing up because it is very difficult to get hands-on copies of books now. But there are still opportunities for young people to read out there; there is a lot of information and free publications online,” Fayemi stated.
Challenging the youth to redirect their time online towards productive reading, she remarked:
“If young people can spend hours online, doing one challenge or the other, doing one thing or the other on social media, they can as well spend that time accessing free publications online.”
Fayemi stressed that parents and educators should encourage youth to leverage modern technology for learning: “What we need to do is continue to encourage young people to use the opportunities and the tools that they have. We did not have those things when we were growing up. They have them now, so the world is waiting for them to explore. They should not waste those opportunities.”
Reflecting on her personal journey into writing, Fayemi shared how her father instilled in her a love for literature:
“To be a good writer, you have to be able to read widely, and I have said on different platforms that I started writing very early because my father motivated me.”
She recalled how limited entertainment options in her childhood led to productive engagement with literature:
“Parents in the past were always looking for ways to keep us engaged because we didn’t have the kinds of gadgets and things that young people have today, like laptops and phones. So, every Tuesday and every Thursday, I had to write an essay for my father, and I believe that is where I developed a very keen passion for writing.”
Fayemi’s message is clear: the tools are at the youth’s fingertips — now is the time to use them to build a future of great Nigerian writers.
