Akada Children\u2019s Book Festival Promotes Reading Culture, Celebrates African Storytelling, , <\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
Funmi Ogundare<\/p>\n
Over 1,500 children, parents, educators and book enthusiasts recently converged on the UPBEAT Recreation Centre, Lekki, Lagos for the seventh edition of the Akada Children\u2019s Book Festival (ACBF), Nigeria\u2019s first and largest book festival dedicated exclusively to children.
This year\u2019s edition, themed \u2018Book an Adventure,\u2019 recorded the festival\u2019s highest attendance since its inception, featuring 34 authors and speakers, 27 featured books, 14 workshops, 11 storytime sessions, eight book readings, five book chats, and several other interactive activities that inspired curiosity, creativity, and a love for reading among children.
Speaking at the event, the convener and renowned author, Mrs. Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi, described the festival as a platform designed to celebrate storytelling and ignite children\u2019s imagination through books.
\u201cThe theme \u2018Book an Adventure\u2019 reminds us that every story opens a new door of discovery. Books give children the courage to imagine, to dream, and to explore worlds beyond their own,\u201d she said.
\u201cAt the Akada Children\u2019s book festival, we want every child to experience that sense of wonder and possibility, to see reading not as a task, but as an adventure waiting to unfold. Our goal is to keep building a generation that reads, creates, and tells the African story with pride.\u201d
The festival also recognised outstanding contributions to children\u2019s literature with the presentation of three major awards. \u2018Komtu, the Grumpy Chameleon\u2019, won Picture Book of the Year; \u2018The Water School\u2019 by Ogbu Eme was named Early Reader Book of the Year; while K.R. Onimole received the Children\u2019s Book of the Year award for his biography of chess champion Tunde Onakoya.
An award recipient, Tayo Oyetayo, noted that the festival continues to elevate authentic African narratives, adding that his works aim to help every child see themselves reflected in the pages of a book.
Since its debut in 2019, the Akada Children\u2019s Book Festival has attracted over 10,160 attendees and donated more than 5,118 books, providing greater access to quality reading materials for children. Beyond celebrating African stories and authors, the festival empowers parents and educators to nurture a culture of reading, embrace shared learning practices, and inspire the next generation of African storytellers.<\/p>\n
, Education \u2013 THISDAYLIVE, November 5, 2025, 9:07 am<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Akada Children\u2019s Book Festival Promotes Reading Culture, Celebrates African Storytelling, , Funmi Ogundare Over 1,500 children, parents, educators and book enthusiasts recently converged on the UPBEAT Recreation Centre, Lekki, Lagos for the seventh edition of the Akada Children\u2019s Book Festival (ACBF), Nigeria\u2019s first and largest book festival dedicated exclusively to children.This year\u2019s edition, themed \u2018Book […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-school-matters"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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