By Cynthia Alo

A total of 2512 pupils in Lagos State are set to benefit from improved access to learning materials following the commissioning of four school libraries by child rights organisation, Yeshua’s Arm, in partnership with Dow Industrial Chemical Products Nigeria Limited.

The four libraries were officially established in St Theresa Primary School (RCM),Luyepo Primary School, Pobo Community Primary School and U.P.E Primary School all in the Epe area of Lagos state.

Speaking at one of the commissioning, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Yeshua’s Arm, Kemi Williams, described the initiative as a strategic effort to revive reading culture among young learners and promote critical thinking skills.

“We don’t just want mediocre education. We want good quality education, and we believe a library is a good way of facilitating that because it would expose their minds in a way that just a teacher standing in front of them in a classroom will not be able to do. They’ll be able to make discoveries for themselves, and they’ll be able to think.

“We believe in quality education for every child because we know it’s going to raise the bar for every Nigerian child, and it’s going to help even raise the bar for our nation. If our children are educated, our nation will thrive,” she added.

According to her, the libraries are equipped with about 1,500 books each, carefully selected to suit the mental and educational needs of primary school pupils, with a blend of locally sourced and imported materials.

She noted that the intervention aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

Williams stressed that beyond providing infrastructure, the organisation has put in place mechanisms to ensure sustainability and effective usage of the facilities.

“We don’t just set up and leave. We have literacy support staff who come in twice weekly to work with the pupils and teachers, integrating library use into the curriculum. We also started engagement with the schools before setting up the libraries to ensure it works,” she added.

She further noted that the initiative builds on years of intervention through mobile libraries, which have impacted between 20 and 30 schools across Lagos State.

Commenting on the state of reading culture in Nigeria, Williams expressed concern over its decline, attributing it partly to the advent of social media where kids spend more time on screen than reading.
“It’s been really poor and is getting poorer. That’s why we are focusing on primary schools; to catch them young and change the narrative,” she said, adding that investment in children’s education remains key to national development.

Also speaking, Site Implementation Leader for Dow’s Global African Affinity Network in Nigeria, Toby-Lade Valmon, said the company’s involvement goes beyond corporate social responsibility.

“For us, this is about building sustainable communities. We are investing in education to help prepare children to become leaders of tomorrow,” he said.

Valmon disclosed that the company has implemented similar interventions across Lagos, including STEM-focused projects, laboratory infrastructure support, and solar-powered lighting in markets.

While acknowledging challenges within Nigeria’s education system, he called for collective responsibility in addressing them.

“Government cannot do it alone. Everyone must contribute through infrastructure, volunteering, or knowledge sharing to improve the system,” he added.

Yeshua’s Arm, a UK and Nigeria-based non-governmental organisation established in 2004, focuses on child education and protection through initiatives such as literacy programmes, summer schools, and library development in underserved communities.