By PRISCA SAM-DURU
When oil firm, Marine Platform promised to encourage reading from an early stage, by donating books to schools in the North, last year at the 2015 Ake Arts and Books Festival, many thought it was one of those strategies by corporate organisations to gain cheap popularity. How wrong skeptics were as the company penultimate week in Kaduna, took corporate social responsibility to a truly innovative and positive level when 100 primary schools in the state became beneficiaries of mobile libraries stocked with beautiful and colourfully illustrated storybooks for easy access for pupils. Both at governor Malam Nasir El Rufai’s office at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, LGEA Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Model Primary School, Polytechnic Road, Tudun Wada, Kaduna, Marine Platform, donated 100 mobile libraries containing 100 books to schools in the state. At Governor Malam Nasir El Rufai’s office, with some of his cabinet members present, Mr. Abaji Nyam of Marine Platform presented a sample of the mobile library with the books stocked in it, a proof of his company’s intention to boost reading culture among school children in parts of the North, beginning with Kaduna State.
According to Nyam, “We believe it’s a scalable model and, for us, this is not the end of the cooperation. We will work with the state government in whatever way we can. And we hope that that fire of inquisitiveness will be ignited in the children to make better adults later in life.” Nyam showing off the libraries while Governor El-Rufai and others watch, in Kaduna Earlier, while inspecting the 100 mobile libraries on the lawn of Government House, Kaduna, Nyam gave insight into the project and how he hopes it would inspire other donors to contribute in making books available to indigent children, especially those in public schools that often have the challenge of learning materials like books. He said, “We all agree that our future depends on our children. The whole idea is not just for the children to have books, but for the books to be able to trigger off inquisitiveness, trigger off the desire to learn, trigger off the desire to explore. That is the whole benefit of this project. “Books are very significant to children; they spark off that desire to learn and make them inquisitive. Of course, an inquisitive child is one that keeps asking all the questions. Children want to learn about other places; they want to learn about other people and the society around them.” Nyam told the pupils his experience as a young reader, how books became windows through which he explored faraway places long before he visited them as an adult. Although there are other initiatives Marine Platform has up its sleeves, Nyam said it was his company’s hope that the mobile library initiative would also challenge others to take a cue and offer assistance in areas of educational needs across the country. Responding, El Rufai thanked Nyam and his company, Marine Platform for delivering on their promise and promised to revamp the libraries in Kaduna State and ensure that in every local government area, there is one functioning and well equipped library with triple offering: books, electronics as well as textbooks. “Your contribution is significant and creative. We hope to adopt your model and scale it up. It is sad that young people don’t read any more; they prefer visuals and they love pictures. We have to find ways to make young people interested in reading and have access to libraries and good books. We pray God to help expand Marine Platform’s business so that you can do more for us.” As part of El Rufai’s innovative approach of putting young people first, he has sponsored children twice to Ake Arts and Book Festival so they can be part of the ambience of writers and thinkers. “I actually sponsored children to Ake festival,” he said. “I hope we sponsor more next year to get them interested in reading and writing.” Two pupils, Aisha Abdulwasi’u and Muhsin Adam, sampled the books by reading excerpts to the admiration of everyone present. The entire class took the books from the library shelves and leafed through them, admiring the glossy colours and photographs.
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