In this feature, DIRISU YAKUBU interrogates the factors responsible for the dying reading culture with recommendations on how to redress the situation
It was Mark Twain, the late American writer and public speaker, who said, “The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.” Global leaders including two former American Presidents, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama as well as philanthropist, Bill Gates are a few world citizens who continue to share the mileage of reading, encouraging their followers to embrace the virtue suit on their various social media handles.
In Gates Notes, a collection of his current reads, the American billionaire and Microsoft boss shares insight on the latest information on democracy, good governance, climate change, and Sustainable Development Goals among others. In both developed and emerging democracies, writers are churning out printed material to engage the critical minds of the public on various aspects of life ranging from philosophy, science, and drama, to mention but a few.
In Nigeria, is there still a community of students or young professionals whose purpose of gathering is not to see Arsenal playing Chelsea but to discuss the works of Wole Soyinka, Chimamanda Adichie, John Grisham or Sidney Sheldon? Nigeria’s reading culture faces a profound decline, with once-vibrant book clubs in locales like Lugbe and Karu in Abuja supplanted by businesses prioritizing immediate economic gains, such as hair salons and betting shops.
This phenomenon epitomizes a societal shift away from intellectual engagement, lending credence to Philip Larkin’s lamentation that “We may be the last generation to write to each other.” This disinterest in traditional intellectual forums underscores a broader disconnect from cultural and intellectual heritage.
The decline is exacerbated by the absence of systemic efforts to reinvigorate reading habits. Historically regarded as both a leisure activity and a tool for intellectual development, reading now contends with the pressing demands of economic survival. This transition reflects not only changing societal priorities but also the structural inadequacies undermining the value placed on intellectual pursuits. Reversing this trend necessitates a concerted effort to re-establish reading as a cultural and intellectual enrichment cornerstone.
Lamenting the dying reading culture, a librarian at the postgraduate school of the Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Dr Isaac Abu, noted that compared to the past, students no longer appreciate the value in leafing through the pages of textbooks, journals and newspapers.
Abu said, “What is happening across campuses is very sad. We have books containing vital information on multi-disciplines, but the truth is that these students no longer come to read. We have newspapers and journals, but the interest shown in reading these days is not encouraging. I can tell you without mincing words that those who patronize the libraries do so only when examinations are around the corner. This is very dangerous because, despite the advantage of the internet, there is quite some useful information that is exclusively found in printed formats.”
A contributing factor to poor reading culture is the advent of the internet, which according to a final year student in the Department of Sociology, University of Abuja, Desmond Daylop, is a “distraction.”
Daylop said, “For me, the internet is a distraction because when I’m reading, I always want to check my phone to see what is happening on the internet. However, I always endeavour to be focused so that it does not become a habit.”
James Aboki, a 300-level student in the Computer Science/Education Department at the Bauchi State University, Gadau, agrees with Daylop on why reading has become quite a difficult task for students of this generation. According to him, young men and women making a lot of money without much education are beginning to make people question the place of education in the affairs of men.
He noted, “Today, many students of our age find reading difficult because we feel it takes more time to understand the meaning of life through reading. We believe that from the influence of our friends who don’t like reading or have become successful in life without formal education, we can also make it without necessarily reading too much.
“Our phones and the internet are distractions to reading but they also help because sometimes a piece of information can pop up on your phone. You will quickly read it and make a mental note without necessarily going to read it up. I think notifications on phones are more interesting than reading books.”
Aboki’s counterpart at the Bauchi State University, Gadau, Messiah Dantani, explains that the attractive nature of social media platforms has made reading optional for most students.
“Students can easily be distracted by the internet especially WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, etc, because of the interesting and catchy captions we see there. We don’t have a problem with television, but the internet is a challenge,” Dantani, a 200-level student in the Department of Library and Information Science/Education, said.
Abuja-based communication consultant and poet, Paul Liam, maintained that no heavier cloud threatens the nation’s civilisation than a generation with a near-zero thirst for the printed word. According to Liam, reading, apart from its intellectual benefits, offers an intellectual adventure across cultural diversity.
Liam, who doubles as a Contributing Art Editor at Daily Review Newspapers, blamed poor reading culture on the faulty educational system that no longer places a premium on excellence and hard work.
‘’The decline of reading culture is a national dilemma, and it cuts across sectors of the economy. This is a direct result of the decline of education and knowledge in general which has blurred the lines between what is right and wrong. Because of the poor quality of learning and education from the basic school level, students have become lazy and entitled. They see reading as punishment and would want to do anything to escape it.
“As a result, the products of our education system over the last few decades have been nothing to write home about. It is so terrible today that many graduates can barely write an ordinary letter or a 500-word article without unforgivable errors,” he pointed out.
Liam also identified social media as contributing significantly to the dying culture of reading across the land.
“Again, because of the quick financial gains from social media, reading is going downhill but this is bad news for a country that wants to maximise the mileage of a sound reading culture,” he added.
He further blamed journalists for contributing to the decay, accusing them of laziness and warning of the implication of poor reading habits for their careers.
“Journalists have become very lazy but I dare say that a journalist who does not make reading a habit is working against his/her career growth. The quality of writing in the newspapers today is on the decline. Sometimes, you buy a newspaper and a few lines later, you are almost tempted to throw it out of your car’s window. Where are the editors?” he queried.
He added, “The advent of digital platforms is creating havoc in society. Children who ought to be reading are becoming content creators on TikTok. This is caused by a decline in family values as many families are no longer actively involved in the all-round development of their children owing largely to their pursuit of materialism.’’
Until the Nigerian government pays more than lip service to the revival of learning in the country, not much will change, says columnist Yishau Olukorede, who lamented the growing apathy to knowledge acquisition by youths.
Olukorede, who doubles as the United States Bureau Chief of The Nation, said, “The Nigerian government needs to spend money on infrastructure in our educational institutions. The primary school level is the foundation, but this level is very messed up and with the wrong foundation, the house on it is in danger of collapse.”
He continues, “We also need to rethink our curricula. Many of the things students and pupils are being taught these days are not relevant to the world we live in. The world has changed and it keeps changing and we are supposed to be changing with it. You still find lecturers teaching with lesson notes from the 80s. Libraries also must be well-equipped with old and recent publications.’’
Joining the conversation is the Head of Training, The PUNCH Media Foundation, Mr Dele Aina. A voracious reader, Aina wants the family unit to rise to its responsibilities of guiding children to make the most of reading.
His words, “Families need to re-evaluate the kind of values they are exposing their children to because those values will have an impact on the development of the child. The education sector should be reviewed and re-organised in such a way that it would allow a comprehensive approach to learning that uses both traditional and new forms of knowledge impartation, such as the use of tablets or computers and the like.
‘’While children need to develop technological skills, they also need to back those skills up with sound knowledge that can only be obtained via reading. The government should encourage reading, especially among children and young adults.”
And partly to blame for the prevailing poor reading culture in the land is what Aina calls the lack of focus on self-development.
He continued, “When I started working and living on my own, I got a bookshelf before I got a bed. I invested in good books, and can honestly tell you that, what feeds me today, comes from what I have read and learnt, since leaving the university, and not what I read in the university.
“Some eight years ago, I started a library in Lagos. Two years later, I opened another one in Ibadan. The vision was to encourage people, especially our youths, to develop a good reading culture. Today, the two libraries are no longer functional. We had to close them down because our people did not come to read. TikTok, YouTube, and WhatsApp have taken over their lives.”
A lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, Dr Nathan Oguche, posited that the poor education system was not to blame for the reading crisis.
“We are now in an era where people are empowered to ask numerous questions, including questioning the role of education in society. This is evidence of quality education. We often think the standard of education has declined because we are now more empowered, a product of quality education, to critically examine the role of education in our society,’’ he noted.
That said, Oguche suggests a way to revive the reading culture, saying, “We must invest in more robust infrastructure at all levels of education and consider the ratio of infrastructure to the number of users. Our curriculum should align with both local and global needs, and we should make education accessible to individuals with special needs, such as the visually impaired and those with hearing impairments.
“There must be a synergy between what is taught and the societal needs. Education should also foster self-esteem and critical thinking, empowering individuals to question governance and leadership. It is not just about holding books to show to the world that we are reading.”
For Oguche’s counterpart at NOUN, Dr Oboromeni Weinoh, technology is the largest contributing factor to the dwindling culture of reading, not just in Nigeria but across the world.
The Public Administration expert also wants the world to know that a hungry man, regardless of his passion for reading, would first secure food for his belly before thinking of picking up a book to read; a veiled reference to the harsh economic reality in the land.
She said, “The dwindling reading culture in this era is a global phenomenon and there are various factors responsible for the decline. First and foremost is technology. With the advent of the internet, artificial intelligence, audiobooks and social media, people get easily distracted and carried away.
‘’Physical libraries are fast becoming ghost houses as people no longer make use of them. Interestingly, even religious books have audio versions now. There is the economic factor too. With the rising rate of inflation and poor standard of living, people spend most of their time trying to make ends meet.’’
Proposing ways to encourage reading, she said, ‘’One way to curb the decline is early indoctrination into the reading culture. Schools especially the elementary ones should introduce reading into their curriculum. I know of some schools in Abuja that have reading logs for their pupils. This is very commendable because it inculcates early reading culture. Such pupils in addition to building their vocabularies, get used to reading.’’
Taking a completely different stand on the issue is Harvard-trained journalist and publisher of The Politico Magazine, Mustapha Shehu, who argues that unless writers improve on their craft by offering to the public irresistible stories, readership may continue to dwindle.
Re-echoing Albert Einstein’s admonition that “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and ceases only at death,” Shehu insists that a journey into the world of reading is only tenable if the reader has quality material at hand, the type capable of making one go late for meetings or work.
“Reading culture in Nigeria is impacted by the dearth of good writers. The few writers we have are focused on fiction writing while those in the ivory towers and journalists write mostly academic papers or newspaper articles.
“Presently, the writing culture worldwide is non-fiction. Great non-fiction writing requires writing workshops which in Nigeria are almost non-existent. There is a need to promote writing programs and workshops in our institutions to produce good non-fiction writers. By throwing up challenges on book reviews (for a prize), we can encourage the youth to read,” he said.
A lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr Kabir Liwanti, while admitting that students and lecturers only read when they have examinations to sit for or lectures to deliver, singled out technology as the biggest threat to reading.
“Many educationists have come up with empirical evidence on the dwindling culture of reading in different countries. There are many factors attributed to that, from the era of radio, television and now, the internet. While our reading culture is poor due to our emphasis on oral tradition over written text, the development of technology has further worsened the situation.
“Lecturers and students are faced with this serious challenge of poor reading habits. For instance, students read only when they are to write examinations or continuous assessment tests. Some lecturers read only when they have a class to teach, and sometimes, you find students restricted only to notes dictated by lecturers. They hardly go outside what was dictated in class,” he stated.
Liwanti blamed what he calls the nation’s “defective education system,” the absence of functional libraries and poverty.
“If people are hungry, reading will be the last thing on their mind. In universities, poor reading culture also emanates from the disruptive nature of our academic calendar owing to perennial industrial disputes.
“To address this, there should be a deliberate policy on the part of government to promote reading from primary to secondary schools. This will help inculcate the culture early in their lives. Schools should have libraries and where this is not possible, provisions should be made for public libraries. Federal lawmakers should set up libraries as part of their constituencies’ projects,’’ he suggested.
To address these gaps, the Federal Government must come up with an implementation timeline for the National Reading Policy, and institute awards and incentives for reading competitions to be held periodically across the six geo-political zones.