Introduction It was my second year in the university; the atmosphere was intense so much that everyone was feeling hot in a room saturated with Air conditioners. My GES201 (Use of English 2) lecturer just dished out three literature for our civil engineering folks to digest, which will be discussed the following week. To my lecturer’s amazement, more than 50% of the class started reading the books the morning of the day we were to dissect the texts together with our tutor. Only a few were able to lay off social media and other distractions to ensure that they had a methodical burning of midnight candles over the texts. Students only love reading, or should I say cramming, just to pass exams. This is as sad as it sounds! No wonder, according to a study carried out by Henry Kayuni in Nigeria, he revealed that 40 percent of Nigerians do not lay their hands on a book after graduating from school. He also stated that an average citizen of the country reads less than a book every 365 days.1 Statistics from ‘This day’ newspaper extracted from ‘the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education,’ revealed that at the grassroots level, 4 in every 10 primary school students cannot read for comprehension.2 Lamentably, this acrid development is a worrying challenge the nation seems to be downplaying. According to Alex-Nmecha Juliet, a PhD holder at the University of Port Harcourt, reading culture can be defined as the conventional habit of making reading a regular activity, and hence the cultivation of attitude and mastering of skills that will facilitate reading to be enjoyable, consistent, and perpetual.3 In summary, reading culture refers to the customary and regular reading of conglomerate of books and information materials.4   CAUSES OF DECLINE IN READING CULTURE The leading factor causing the decadence of reading culture is the Deficient Education System. In a report by the United Nations, more than 130 million children who are enrolled in schools cannot read and write (UNICEF, 2015).5 This conveys that the quality of education in schools, especially in developing countries constitutes to poor reading culture. Whatever a child has been feed with in his early days, without doubt, will become a lifestyle over time. Nigeria’s education system is deficient in bringing to light the habit of intensive reading amongst students. The system does not prioritize reading; rather it gives value to passing examinations.  Consequently, students resort to cramming to pass tests or examinations because some lectures even want students to write verbatim what he/she had relayed to them. This is an unhealthy approach to reading and it should be discouraged without apology.   Also, the socio-cultural environment is another key factor. One of the reasons people spend luxury of time outside the perimeter of reading in this part of the world is because the act of reading is not deeply rooted in the socio-cultural setup in most of the African nations. The Africa Society is obviously not a reading society, but a community dominated by chatting and social media.6  Gone are the days when the command of literature is prominent amongst the Africans. Furthermore, the presence of few well-equipped libraries also contributes to the decline in reading culture. It is regretful to discover that the bulk of books in most libraries in higher institutions or public libraries are out-of-date or antiquated. Even those that have updated resources or materials lack the availability in abundance. Students will have to till the ground before he/she could find textbooks that address some unique set of newly added topics in the curriculum. Going forward, poverty is another torn in the flesh. In a community where there is poor educational system and the absence of well-equipped libraries, poverty can also contribute to poor reading culture. Establishing a reading culture entails accessibility to resources both online and printed. It requires buying and reading as many books or reading materials as possible which will demand lots of costs. Records from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics show that most Nigerians are living in abject poverty. Many can barely afford to feed themselves, let alone purchase books to read.7   THE WAY FORWARD A community without good reading culture can be likened to a tree with poor soil needed for proper germination. Poor reading culture creates a knowledge gap in the society and impedes growth and development, as well as hampers the self-improvement of an individual. Here are some strategies in strata to combat poor reading culture in the society we have found ourselves. The Role of the Government First, the system of education should be revived from being an examination-oriented system to one soaked with a knowledge-oriented structure that projects beyond having its sole importance being attached to grades or certifications. Research works that include intensive reading and studying of diverse books should be reinforced. As Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world,” many mysteries can only be unraveled when genres of books are consulted. The Role of the Schools It is imperative that schools should be flowing with libraries filled with books and lots of educational materials needed to travel without moving the feet. We can all acquiesce that the discussion on reading culture will be an incomplete chronology without attributing to the critical roles of libraries. The art of reading which later transits to be a culture is a gradual process that could be enhanced with the availability of well-stocked libraries strategically located and accessible to all. Also, at the elementary level, schools should make it mandatory for students to read a given number of literary books in a term. In addition, organizing interclass reading competitions ought to be encouraged and a forum like “Book Club” should be created where students can have the first-hand opportunity to relate the stories they have read in a book with each other. The outstanding readers should be given appraisal and rewarded substantially either in

Introduction It is always said that if you want to hide anything from a Nigerian, you put it in a book. This cliche clearly captures the poor attitude of many Nigerians towards reading. While other countries are recording incredible breakthroughs in science and technology due to their healthy reading culture, our reading culture has regrettably nosedived. It is against this backdrop that the writer seeks to critically analyze the reading culture of Nigerians. This in-depth analysis must answer the following questions; what is reading culture? How is the reading culture of Nigerians? What are the factors that have affected our reading culture? What are the benefits of a good reading culture? How can we improve our reading culture? What is reading culture? Reading is a term which refers to the ability to interpret and decode an array of words through a cognitive process. To read is to get ideas from print or written materials. It also refers to an interaction by which meaning encoded in visual stimuli by an author, makes meaning in the mind of the reader. Relegon.org defines reading culture as learned, habitual, and regular reading of books and information materials. Reading culture involves reading as a regular activity. It is the continuous practice of seeking knowledge, information or entertainment through the written word. How is the reading culture of Nigerians? Reading is not deeply rooted in the socio-cultural setup of Nigeria, as information was preferably passed orally. However, the advent of the colonial masters, who introduced English and formal education, contributed to the development of reading culture in Nigeria. Then, Nigerians developed a good reading culture to the extent that the country paraded the best set of authors and publishers in Africa. Prominent amongst them include; Cyprian Ekwensi, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, among others. The reading culture saw a massive decline between the mid 1980s and the late 1990s, which is likely an effect of successive military administrations. Recently, Nigeria was rated by the World Culture Score Index as one of the countries in the world with the lowest reading culture (Vanguard 8 Jun 2017). Prof. Suleiman Elias Bogoro, Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, asserted that the publishing and reading culture of Nigerians has diminished and it’s at the lowest ebb (Vanguard 7 Mar 2019). What are the factors that have affected our reading culture? Lack of adequate reward system for avid readers is one factor responsible for the decline in our reading culture. PremiumTimes reported that in 2018, Bamisaye Tosin, the best graduating student at the Ekiti State University, Department of Civil Engineering, got two hundred naira (#200) for his feat. In 2017, Best Somadina, the best graduating student from Mass Communication Department, at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), formerly known as Anambra State University was given a bemusing prize; a tuber of yam, a fowl and a certificate. This is happening in the same country where the winner of BBNaija season5 won #30,000 million cash prize, a two-bedroom apartment, a top of the range SUV, a trip to Dublin and Dubai, home appliances, a year’s supply of Indomie noodles, Munch it, Pepsi and Colgate toothpaste. A branded chiller, a trip to watch the UEFA Champions league finale, a brand new Oppo mobile smartphone (PremiumTimes 13 Jul 2020). It is clear that Nigerians are not properly rewarded for excellence in education. It is axiomatic that harsh and unfavourable economic condition has played a huge role in our poor reading culture. The daily struggle for economic survival provides little or no time for people to cultivate a good reading habit. Our streets are littered with children who are either begging for alms or hawking various items. An information seen on worldbank.org shows that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently released the 2019 report of “Poverty and Inequality in Nigeria”, which highlights that 40 percent of the total population, or almost 83 million people live below the country’s poverty line of #137,430 naira ($381.75) per year. How would a parent who could neither afford a square meal nor his children’s school fees, buy books for his children to read? The level of illiteracy is another factor. It is a common knowledge that a good reading culture cannot be established among illiterates. Guardian of 7th December 2018, reported that available statistics from the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education, shows that 38 percent of Nigerians are illiterates as out-of-school children are 11 million, while the non-literate Nigerians are about 60 million. For most readers, their reading habit was learnt, nurtured and cemented in a school environment. We cannot neglect the influence of poor education system in Nigeria. Our education system can be described as examination-oriented rather than knowledge-oriented. The system prioritizes reading for passing examinations rather than reading for general acquisition of knowledge. Hence, many students have resorted to cramming in order to pass examinations. The implication is that one does not need to read if there are no exams to be written. Poor quality teachers is also a contributing factor. PulseNg reported that the Kaduna State Government discovered that there were 21,780 teachers who were unqualified in 2017. A video posted on channels.com showed that an Edo State teacher, Mrs Augusta Odemwigwe, failed to read her age declaration affidavit. Pathetic, isn’t it?  When teachers who are suppose to be role models to their students cannot read fluently, how can their students develop good reading culture? The negligence of the government towards education is a huge factor. An analysis of our National budget reveals that the Nigerian government does not prioritize reading and education. Hence, the budget allocated to education has been on the decline since 2016. The education sector was allocated 7.9% of the total budget in 2016. It dropped from 7.4% in 2017, to 7.04% in 2018. It further dropped to 6.7% in the 2020 appropriation bill. This is way below the 15-20% benchmark set by UNESCO. (PremiumTimes 24 Oct 2020). The poor funding has contributed to the deplorable

  Imagine seeing the world through the eyes of a favourite author amidst a bar of chocolate… Goodness! Not sure if it’s the smell of the book or the excitement of turning the pages – especially for a thriller… oh… what a euphoria! Be it for fun, relaxation, enjoyment, knowledge acquisition, or personal development; a reading culture has come to stay! It was the great bastion of empiricist natural philosophy, Francis Bacon, that said, “knowledge is power.” There is no gainsaying that the sure way to knowledge acquisition is by reading – by having a good reading culture. Therefore, once you have it, the power is in your hands; the power to rule your world with the knowledge so garnered. With this, the tone for this essay is set already. Learning Objectives At the end of this essay, the reader will be able to: Understand what reading culture is all about Explain ways to improving it To achieve these objectives, the essay defines reading culture. It presents an in-depth analysis of the reading culture in Nigeria. In the process, the essay establishes a dearth in reading culture amongst Nigerians, albeit exposing its effects and causes. It, therefore, challenges everyone on the need to improve their reading culture. Winding down on the essay, thoughts on how to improve our reading culture would be stimulated. Happy Reading! Reading Culture; What Does it Mean? It refers to the habitual and regular reading of books and informational materials [1]. It is a learned practice of seeking knowledge, information, or entertainment through the written word [2]. Being a learned practice, it implies that the act is deliberately cultivated and nurtured. From old magazines to digital inscriptions, to novels, motion texts, random pamphlets, the Holy books, and even G. F Handel’s musical scores; the culture/habit of reading knows no boundaries. Everything one reads presents an opportunity to learn a new thing and explore new frontiers of ideas. The reading culture in Nigeria has been rated low on several occasions. But the desire is that more people come to acquire a good and deliberate reading culture. The Dearth of Nigeria’s Reading Culture – any Implication(s)? The immediate implication is that Nigeria finds itself as one of the countries in the world with the least reading culture as rated by the World Culture Score Index. Available statistics from National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education show that 38% of Nigerians are non-literate, as four in ten primary school children cannot read for comprehension [3]. According to the World Culture Statistics, only two African countries were listed amongst countries that are reading. These countries are South Africa and Egypt. Nigeria was not listed [4]. Once upon a time, Nigeria boasted of the best set of authors and publishers in Africa. Then, reading was appealing to both young and old. This reflected so much on the quality of leadership and civil discipline in Nigeria at the time. Regrettably, this is not the case today, and it presents a weird challenge the country seems to turn a blind eye to. Hence, the need for the essay titled, “Bring back our reading culture.” A review of extant literature discloses that about 30 million people have graduated from secondary school with poor reading culture. Also, available statistics show that about 40% of Nigerian adults never finish reading a play or a novel from cover to cover after leaving school. Poor reading culture is therefore the reason many students are school dropouts. Of the 20 million children who were out-of-school worldwide in 2017, 10.5 million of them were from Nigeria [5]. These scary statistics leave a lot to worry about already. Yet the effects of a reading culture decline on the society and the individual are quite telling. At the societal level, it creates a knowledge gap and stunts development. A society with a poor reading culture is likely to have leadership crises because of the paucity of knowledgeable leaders. At the individual level, it impedes personal development and success in life. Truly, the effects of a dearth in reading culture are just precarious and quite unending. How Then Did We Get to This Precarious State? A defective educational system in Nigeria has been indicted. The culture of reading to only pass examination becomes a fallout of this defect. The implication is that students would go on to pass examinations, without acquiring the requisite knowledge. Teachers even add insult to injury. Since they prefer the “garbage in, garbage out” kind of answers to examination questions, the result is that students who could cram a handbook of lecture notes and quoting them verbatim get first-class honours upon graduation. This defective system only makes reading culture tailor-made for passing examinations rather than for knowledge acquisition. Little wonder the saying, “examination is never the true test of knowledge.” Can you now agree more? The absence or lack of well-equipped and functional libraries in Nigeria also takes some blame. These libraries (especially public and school) are badly funded and witness a shortage of books and other reading resources to sustain or ignite the reading culture amongst citizens. Biting economic realities is another factor negatively affecting reading culture amongst Nigerians. A Nigerian recently said, “The time I’d sit down to read, I’d rather deploy that time to ‘hustle’ just to make sure I put food on the table for my family.” Now, isn’t this quite revealing? A lot of Nigerians live below the poverty line. That’s just the case. The outcome is that they hardly devote time to reading; so much so that it’s considered a distraction from daily economic survival. Even the little demography that read, lacks the patience and disposition to do so lately. They have thrown in the towel and this reek of their identity. Any Way Forward? Improving and raising the reading culture of Nigerians involves catching the citizens young. An Igbo adage says, “anaghi amu aka ekpe na nka…” translated to mean, “changing someone’s habit at old age remains a tough

The continuous quest for knowledge commands a breakthrough over the doors of hidden truth. We are familiar with the popular phrase “Knowledge is power”, which is usually attributed to Sir Francis Bacon because of his description of knowledge as contained in his Meditations Sacrae (1597). The power in knowledge is embedded in the words printed on the pages of books we sometimes qualify as ‘Ordinary‘. Knowledge with its inert power is gained through the culture of reading. Reading is the act of comprehending and assimilating words and sentences in a book. On the other hand, culture is the total lifestyle of a people. Therefore, a fundamental hidden truth discovered is that reading as a culture is a way of life. The culture of reading expands the scope of research to provide a path in discovering hidden truth. Reading as a culture gives the understanding that reading is a phenomenon of life. However, research has shown that there is a steady and gradual decline in the culture of reading especially in Nigeria. Reading Culture in Nigeria The deficiency in the rate of reading in Nigeria especially amongst the youths give room for the question “Is reading truly a way of life in Nigeria?”. A society with good reading culture will successfully discover the hidden truth for its development and growth. On the contrary, we continue to witness a reverse situation in Nigeria. Unfortunately, it has become worse as research and discoveries have shown that an average Nigerian youth do not have enthusiasm in reading. Reading for some persons is like undergoing an herculean task. Nigeria is rich in cultural diversity but lacking in reading culture. This has continued to be at her disadvantage especially in the areas of human capacity development, knowledge and technology transfer, societal literacy, and national development. According to the World Culture Score Index, Nigeria has been identified as one of the countries in the world with the lowest reading culture. Furthermore, research analysis from the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education shows that 38 percent of Nigerians are non-literate as four in ten primary school children cannot read and comprehend. The poor culture of reading in Nigeria has greatly affected the quality of her human resources. For example, from the statistics above, you may find out that an average Nigerian especially within the bracket of children and youth either as a graduate, undergraduate, secondary or primary school student may not be able to independently speak fluently or construct simple sentences. A country that is not well informed will be deformed in every respect. In my years of experience in interpersonal relationship with youths of different background, I could deduce that an average youth in Nigeria would be more excited to sit for at least two hours manipulating a smartphone than sit to read a page of a book for one minute.This gives an implication that reading is no longer meaningful in our society. This is absurd! Reading is a critical skill that can equip one for greatness. Reading has good influence on the literacy level of a country or society. Having an appreciable level in the culture of reading can  boost the intellectual potency of a country like Nigeria. The knowledge gained from reading can be  further applied for national development especially in science and technology, research, human capacity development and so on. Reading helps to update old knowledge and incite creative innovation. A larger percentage of the Nigerian populace are youth. With a friendly atmosphere that appreciate good reading culture, Nigeria can benefit immensely from the talent and ingenuity of her youthful population.   Reading Culture and Discovering Hidden Truth There is a common saying that if you want to hide something from a Nigerian, put it in a book. The originator of this expression must have really figured the obvious weakness in the reading habit of Nigerians. For Nigeria to consistently discover hidden truth that can facilitate her socio- economic development, Nigeria must give keen attention to the reading culture of her citizens. A person is subjected to emotional, political, economic and intellectual slavery if there is no access to hidden truth. The moment such person advance in the the culture of reading, he/she breaks through to discover the hidden truth that concern various aspects of his/her life. Such person can confidently have the power to confront societal predators and that power is knowledge. Indeed, the is no argument that developing a good reading culture is relevant and of greater benefit. Improving the Culture of Reading So far on this discourse, I have drawn our attention on the frieghten decline in the culture of reading especially in our dear country Nigeria. Also, some pertinent points on  the relevance and benefits of good reading culture were duly stated. Now, there is need to profer ways in improving the culture of reading in our society. The following are some of the ways to improve the culture of reading: Parental Upbringing: The home is the first school and point of learning for every child. Therefore, parents should make it a point of duty to encourage and inculcate the culture of reading in their children from their early stage of growth. This will make them adapted to good reading habit. Improving the Quality of Education: We all know the saying “Education is the bedrock of development”. Education produces the knowledge that facilitates development. The government should ensure that priority is given to the educational sector by providing the needed funding to a acquire needed educational infrastructure that facilitates good reading habit among students. Consistent Advocacy Campaign: The government in conjunction with relevant stack holder such as the non- governmental organizations should consistently engage students in both public and private schools through advocacy campaign to encourage good reading culture and by extension curb examination malpractice. Creating a Friendly Ecosystem for Reading: The busy nature of the Nigerian ecosystem has made it unpalatable to develop an appreciable reading culture. There have to be provision of libraries spread

    INTRODUCTION   According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Reading is the activity of skill of understanding written words. One major avenue for acquiring information is reading and reading is the foundation upon which other academic skills are built (Ogbonna & Obiozor).  We can define reading culture as the continuous and perpetual reading of books and information materials. We can also say it is the environment where reading is treasured and actively encouraged. Reading informs not only the reader but also boosts human potentials, and is the key to lifelong learning. Reading culture is an integrated pattern of reading behaviors, practices, beliefs, perceptions, and knowledge (Behrman (2004), Magara, and Batambuze (2205, quoted by Ruterana, 2012, p. 18). They refer to the reading culture in their study on ways of creating the reading culture as, a culture where reading is part of the people’s living and constitutes a habit that is shared by members of the society.  Therefore, reading, whether for academic or for pleasure, is perceived to be the key to lifelong learning. The principal aim of cultivating and promoting a reading culture is to make reading a habit that is appreciated and loved by citizens. To make it so that  reading should be not only when one would sit for exams, but to read widely, for leisure and as a habit. The benefits of reading widely, outside the normal school curriculum, helps one not only to grow intellectually, but also enable one to develop the skills of locating, selecting, organizing, manipulating, evaluating, and processing information. Studies have shown that there is an almost interdependent relationship between reading, learning, and intelligence. READING CULTURE IN NIGERIA TODAY The World Culture Score Index  rated Nigeria as one country with the lowest reading culture in the world. It is common knowledge that a country that wants to develop must invest in the educational sector. The growth of any society is the function of the extent to which that society is involved in reading. The acquisition of effective reading skills has a direct effect on the human capital of that country. The quality of every country’s human capital lies in the reading culture of that country. We can attribute the difference in level of growth of the developed countries and the developing countries to their literacy level. Nigeria would grow and be a better country if the reading culture of the country can be boosted. Sadly, there was a time in history when Nigeria was rich in literacy and boasted of talented authors and publishers. Nigeria could raise its shoulder in the world of literature back then. I remember while growing up on the streets of Nigeria; one became popular by the number of books one had read. We saved up our lunch money to buy books so that we could exchange them with our friends. We sit down to talk about books as if they were movies.   Ben Carson, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, wrote in his biographical book Gifted Hands on how he was doing poorly in school and his mother decided to put a stop to it. What she did was made him and his brother– Curtis– to read books and write reports of what they had read. Ben Carson narrated how he and his brother read and learned so much from world books. Within one year, Ben Carson catapulted from the bottom of his class to the top. It was the reading that Ben’s mother inculcated in him that transformed him and made him one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. CHALLENGES TO READING CULTURE IN NIGERIA There so many reasons that caused the decline of reading culture in Nigeria today. I have outlined some reasons below: Government Negligence: The government of Nigeria has so far exhibited a dispassionate attitude towards the reading culture of citizens. The government has so far done nothing to promote and encourage reading culture, most especially in school children. Sadly, there are no policies in the education system of Nigeria that promote the reading culture. It is alarming to note that some schools do not have a library and adequate reading materials. How do such schools motivate the students to read? There are very few public libraries where people can comfortably read books. Modern Technology: A large percentage of the youths are obsessed with social media. Most of them would rather spend many hours on social media, rather than visiting sites that are educating. Of course, modern technology can be used to our advantage if we surf sites that are educating and get materials online that can improve our lives. Harsh Economic Environment: It is just a few people that are living above the poverty line in Nigeria. They can barely afford food to eat, and so buying books is out of the question. The hike in prices of goods and services has also affected the prices of books. Books are gradually becoming too expensive for the average person to afford. The price of publishing a book has become Lack of Parental Encouragement: Most children had their first contact with books when they started school. Reading culture is something that grows with the child when it is inculcated early. The earlier a child is exposed to books, the better. Parents should invest in the buying of books and not just that, but try to encourage their children to read. WAYS OF IMPROVING OUR READING CULTURE The government should give education priority. The government should deliberately improve the education sector of the country by channeling sizeable resources into developing that sector. This will foster learning and revive the reading culture in the country. We will have quality human resources who will build the country. Government should also put policies that will make continuous provision and access to books for the citizens. Make reading a pleasurable experience and make schools have reading periods on their timetables. Reading competitions should also be organized where winners should be rewarded. Building libraries and reading parks: Government and wealthy individuals should build