It was a refreshing, interactive and rewarding session as students of Coker Senior Secondary School Orile-Iganmu, Lagos, yesterday benefited from the UBA Foundation ‘Read Africa’ initiative, targeted at reawakening a healthy reading culture amongst African Youths.
Mr. Samuel Adikamkwu, Group Legal Counsel, United Bank for Africa, UBA, Plc, served as UBA Foundation’s mentor for the occasion, leading the students through a reading session and advising them about how to grow up to be successful individuals. He advised the students not to regard any printed material as useless. “Reading has made me what I am today,” he told the students.
He also advised the students to read quality materials “even if it is a page of a newspaper you find, pick it up and read, you will learn a lot through reading, you will never lose anything from reading.”
Citing the example of Chinua Achebe, author of ‘Things Fall Apart’, copies of which were distributed at the occasion, he said it was through reading that Chinua Achebe polished his writing skills which eventually turned him into the renowned literary giant that he became.
Adikamkwu also encouraged the students to watch less of television and read more, advising that each student should read for a minimum of 10-20 minutes a day. “You stand out when you read. To excel in life you have to make extra effort to read outside your immediate course of study. Reading expands your intellectual base enabling you to discuss intelligently any topic that comes up. Reading turns you into a sought after employee.”
IjeomaAso, MD/CEO, UBA Foundation, explained that the reason for the special reading session at the school was to make students develop their potential through reading.