Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s Rivers State Capital, assumes its status today as the UNESCO World Book Capital 2014 as the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to win the designation from an open competitive bidding. Formal activities began yesterday with the opening of the International Literature Exhibition and Culture Exhibition (ILE) as well as a public presentation of a communal story written by children across Rivers State titled, “100 years around Port Harcourt” on the sights and sounds of their local government areas.
Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari said that Port Harcourt came on top over other notable cities such as Oxford and Moscow and that Egypt was the only other African city that has been the World Book Capital City which was through a consensus by the organizers. She said Port Harcourt won the bid through the recognition of the efforts of the Rivers State government in promoting literacy and literary events in the country.
Mrs. Semenitari said, “We do believe we can only strengthen education with an enlightened populace which in turn enhances the practice of democracy and good governance.” She expressed the effort of the state towards the sustenance of the Garden City Literary Festival which is now in its fifth year, noting that the mileage achieved by the festival encouraged the state to bid for the World Book Capital City Award.
Commissioner for Education, Alice Lawrence-Nemi said that Rivers State was thrilled by the UNESCO status Port Harcourt has attained. He said, “We feel much fulfilled that at last Port Harcourt is taking over as the UNESCO World Book Capital but I do not think it should just end with UNESCO. It should be sustained. We have seen the benefits of this to our children and it is something we will wish to continue, even after UNESCO.”
On the benefit of this award, Lawrence-Nemi said, “Port Harcourt’s literacy level will go up. If you look around now, the culture of reading books is on the rise. Children in schools now have time in their time-table to spend time in the library. Rivers state should be commended because people have gone back to the books.”
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This article was first published on 23rd April 2014
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Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s Rivers State Capital, assumes its status today as the UNESCO World Book Capital 2014 as the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to win the designation from an open competitive bidding. Formal activities began yesterday with the opening of the International Literature Exhibition and Culture Exhibition (ILE) as well as a public presentation of a communal story written by children across Rivers State titled, “100 years around Port Harcourt” on the sights and sounds of their local government areas.
Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari said that Port Harcourt came on top over other notable cities such as Oxford and Moscow and that Egypt was the only other African city that has been the World Book Capital City which was through a consensus by the organizers. She said Port Harcourt won the bid through the recognition of the efforts of the Rivers State government in promoting literacy and literary events in the country.
Mrs. Semenitari said, “We do believe we can only strengthen education with an enlightened populace which in turn enhances the practice of democracy and good governance.” She expressed the effort of the state towards the sustenance of the Garden City Literary Festival which is now in its fifth year, noting that the mileage achieved by the festival encouraged the state to bid for the World Book Capital City Award.
Commissioner for Education, Alice Lawrence-Nemi said that Rivers State was thrilled by the UNESCO status Port Harcourt has attained. He said, “We feel much fulfilled that at last Port Harcourt is taking over as the UNESCO World Book Capital but I do not think it should just end with UNESCO. It should be sustained. We have seen the benefits of this to our children and it is something we will wish to continue, even after UNESCO.”
On the benefit of this award, Lawrence-Nemi said, “Port Harcourt’s literacy level will go up. If you look around now, the culture of reading books is on the rise. Children in schools now have time in their time-table to spend time in the library. Rivers state should be commended because people have gone back to the books.”
