By Etop Ekanem

A literary reality show, Wake up the Giant, is set to make its debut in the six states of South West region of the country.

This first academic reality show in Nigeria and Africa, which is organised by Sastoma Empowerment Foundation, STEFO, with the support from to Sifax Group, for secondary school students, is aimed to promote issues on education in Africa, support the educational drive for the less privileged, widows, orphans and missionary children.

Adressing newsmen in Lagos, Dr Stella Ebuetse, Chief Executive Officer of Sastoma Empowerment Foundation, STEFO, said: “As a tutor of Language and Literature for over 30 years, the discovery of few but significant challenges in education sector, especially in academic competitions, relating to my field gave birth to ‘Wake up the giant: Nigerian youths got brains,’ a literary reality show set to prove that beyond physical talents, beautiful faces, and physical strength, African youths got brains.

According to her, the audition is currently going on in  the South West region, while the Lagos edition will start November 12 at the designated centres

“The drastic fall in the standard of education, the dwindling number of learners offering literature due to laziness in reading the few prescribed textbooks, the poor level of learners communication/writing skills, the extinction of literary clubs and activities in our schools, students nonchallant attitude to academic competition, and further innumerable deficiencies in our educational system, calls for drastic action among well-meaning Nigerians.

“Most worrisome is the fact that currently in Nigeria, we have over a hundred reality shows/talents hunts but none is focusing on this poor, nagging communication/reading challenge. “

According to her, the Academic Reality competition is going to be in three stages namely senatorial district level state level and the third stage being the tasks for the competition.

She said: “It will be 14 nights of brain cracking academic literary competition among the stage 2 winners from six South West states. The audience will experience spoken words at its peak. The nights are tagged: ‘In search of Wole Soyinka, Gone but not forgotten, Black/wailing night, Proudly Niger, My language: my identity, Africa, my Africa, proudly South West, testing the deep water, etc.

Dr Ebuetse enumerated what they aim to archieve with the competition, to include draw government’s attention to the dearth of English and literature teachers in our schools; awakening reading culture among the youths, revitalise literary activities in our secondary schools; discover/build young creative talents/writers. Good books and good writers are gradually going out of circulation in Nigeria among others.