Dear Senator Gbenga Ashafa: National Library of Nigeria and the State of Nigerian Libraries

Adegbilero-Iwari Idowu

Dear Senator,

You have left me with no other word than to say thank you for living true to the title your membership of the Nigerian upper legislative chamber confers on you having distinguished yourself. Distinguished Senator Gbenga Ashafa, you have painstakingly considered and called the attention of the nation to a somewhat conspicuous but seemingly vague national matter: the Nigerian library sector. Everything else is often mentioned and discussed in this country but the library. This accounts for the singular reason why the construction of the headquarters of the National Library of Nigeria has taken more than a decade to do unto no reasonable conclusion. The bad effects on cost, national literacy and development have been well articulated in your motion. The flimsy manner we handle national education and literacy which alarmed you only won us a poor record as the least reading country in the world. We are grateful for your foresight by seeing the invisible and beaming light on the obvious but somewhat hidden national menace. By this singular action of yours, you have distinguished yourself sir and I am left with no option than to confer on you the title of a Library Hero of Nigeria (LHN).

When I became puzzled but happy by your action, I traced and found that you originated from Lagos State; a state that, under the leadership of H.E. Akinwumi Ambode, has taken library development and education to enviable heights. Apart from having one of the largest numbers of public libraries, they recently partnered with Zenith Bank to develop public libraries. The recently modernized Isolo Public Library is a notable example of the government’s commitment to seeing through its “Adopt a Library initiative”. Lagos seems to get everything happening for them in the most progressive manner in all sectors. They are raising their shoulder high above the rest. With its western orientation of service to humanity and its pace of development, at times you wonder if Lagos is a separate country. While one would pray for Lagos to continue to prosper and also have shining lights and considerate people in leadership positions, the other states and the federal government should learn from the Center of Excellence.

The Federal Government and all state governments should consider educating the Nigerian masses as the most worthy calling of governance. Educating the masses is far beyond what the few privileged ones will learn within the four walls of our already remiss classrooms. It is more of what they will glean from a functional library system which can best be described as a public university. The public library is the citadel of learning for all peoples. This is what obtains in developed climes. I have  spoken much of this in my article titled “Journey to the Largest Library in the World and the Need for a Library-Conscious Nigerian Society”. Needless to reiterate, click to read and see where we should be heading as a country. But the call to modernize our libraries and turn them to community hubs, city centres or village squares is herein resounded. In a poster accepted for presentation in the AfLIA conference of May 2017 in Yaounde, Cameroun, I recommended how, a good public library serving as community hubs can fast-track personal and national development. I propounded there those things the modern library should do to fulfill that purpose. And as agreed to by other scholars and practiced abroad, the library should offer the following services: see poster

Having said that, without the support of everyone: government, communities, cities, philanthropist, librarians and the people, there is no way these can be achieved. I made recommendation for what everybody can do in the article titled "Nigeria: Concerning Library Culture or is it Reading Culture? Part2" which also can be clicked and read to safe writing space. However, in the light of distinguished Senator  Gbenga Ashafa’s heroic motion on the floor of the Senate, I wish to reiterate a key point here. The point is on the role of the National Assembly. Apart from the investigation the senator’s motion has birthed, the current momentum should be geared towards enacting the Library Fund Acts. This Act will provide for the establishment of Library Development Fund with fiscal empowerment like TETFund to fund library projects across Nigeria. All library types especially public libraries should be able to access this fund. The fund should also create special competitive grants for individuals, NGO, communities to compete for in order to implement innovative library projects. I can always shed more light on this. This practice is obtainable in serious-minded reading nations.

Dear Senator, that is the next step, beyond building a national headquarters of a library, which is just a building. You can always count on librarians to work with you in this matter dear library hero. God bless us all.