Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has called on stakeholders and government at all levels to join forces in ensuring the revival of the reading culture among young Nigerians. He said that this is necessary in order to enhance effective moulding of future leaders of the country.

Senator Amosun made the call yesterday at the 2015 Ake Arts and Books Festival held at the June 12 Cultural Center, Kuto, Abeokuta. He pledged that his administration will continue to explore all avenues to make reading attractive to children and youths.

Lamenting the decline in the reading culture, Governor Amosun said all hands must be on deck to help the generation coming behind to reverse the trend.

Said he: “We will continue to do everything possible to make sure that our young ones are encouraged to read. It is only when they imbibe this culture that they can even be easy to govern and will easily understand what the government is trying to do. The reading culture is so critical that we have to get it right.

“All stakeholders and government at all levels must come together to help the situation because the generation coming after us must be rescued from this rot of non-reading.”

While commending Lola Shoneyin, Director, Ake Arts and Books Festival, for the initiative, Amosun described it as a good avenue to produce many literary giants for the country and humanity as a whole.

•Photo shows Governor Amosun cutting the tape to formally open the 2015 Ake Arts and Books Festival held at the June 12 Cultural Center, Abeokuta, yesterday, while Director, Ake Arts and Books Festival, Lola Shoneyin, and others look on.