Literacy Day: NAS Donates Books, Learning Materials to Port Harcourt Remand Home, ,
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
As part of activities marking the International Literacy Day, the Olympus Marino Deck of the National Association of Seadogs, Pyrates Confraternity has donated books and other writing materials to Port Harcourt Remand Home, Rivers State.
The association also had an interactive literacy sessions with the children at the home, while pledging a sustained volunteer teaching programme for the children, to run two to three times weekly.
Speaking with journalists at the event, the Capoon, Olympus Marino Deck, Nnamdi Ilochi stated that the day underscored the fundamental importance of literacy as both a right and a foundation for sustainable development.
“We are reaching out to the Remand Home in Borokiri, Port Harcourt, where juveniles currently reside without structured access to education, formal teachers, or consistent academic guidance.
“For these young individuals, literacy represents far more than the ability to read or write. It offers a chance at dignity, personal growth, reintegration into society, and a future beyond confinement,” Ilochi said.
He explained that the initiative was not merely an event, but a call to conscience, an opportunity to extend the power of words, to unlock potential where others may see only walls, and to inscribe the name of the association in the lived reality of impact.
He called on public institutions, civil society actors, and other citizens “to remember that no one is truly free until everyone can read their own story.
“Together, let us champion literacy not just as an academic goal, but as a human right and a pathway to transformation,” Ilochi said.
A member of the association, Emery Okwakpam, who spoke on the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era: Bridging the Gap’, said the association identified the needs of the home, which include literacy materials.
“We have been able to identify some of the peculiar needs that they are faced with here and also have brought the message of the International Literacy Day.
“We understand that education and literacy are fundamental human rights which are supposed to be accessible to every child of school age. Unfortunately, Nigeria is numbered among the countries that have the highest number of out of school children.”
Okwakpam advocated for a greater reach by civil society organisations, government and other well meaning individuals to bridge the gap of lack of access to school for children of all classes in the country.
Matron of the home, Mrs. Grace Agu thanked the association for the benevolence and called for more collaboration in the care of the children.
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, Education Archives – THISDAYLIVE, September 10, 2025, 12:09 am
