By Esther Onyegbula

DoTheDream Youth Development initiative, weekend, said it will construct leadership libraries across different government schools in Africa starting with Lagos state.

The group also donated and equipped a leadership library to Ayedere Ajibola Senior Grammar School, Ketu-Ikosi, Lagos.

The Founder/Executive Director, Do The Dream Youth Development Initiative, Adebusuyi Olumadewa said: “The leadership library project is for young people to find their voices and create a platform for those voices to be amplified.

According to him, “young people can become assets worth emulating by studying leadership and management books.

Olumadewa added that “the idea is also to help the pupils bridge the reading and learning inequalities that exist in Nigeria between public and private schools.

“Private and public sectors can promote literacy by giving young people platforms to find their value, give them opportunities and collaborate with schools to make literacy common for every young and old, for every male and female, that way we can make education affordable to every child.”

“The library project is a collaboration between Do The Dream Youth Development Initiative and the Life Development Centre based in Chicago, United States,” he said.

The event was also used to mark the 2023 International Literacy Day. Speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic Education, Lagos State, Abayomi Abolaji, described Literacy Day as a special day in the lives of pupils globally, appreciating the initiative and the partners for keying into the reality that the government cannot do it alone.

Addressing the pupils, Abolaji who read a portion of a book, said: “Today has been declared internationally as World Literacy Day to emphasise the importance of education in the world.

“Education is the best legacy which enables you to distinguish yourself among your peers, gives you a good job and above all makes you a better person in the community among others,” he said.

On what the state government is doing to reduce school dropout, Abolaji said: “The Lagos state government introduced the Lagos state comprehensive school program when they discovered a lot of our students were dropping out of schools.

“An investigation was carried out and we discovered that some of these children want to learn vocational skills, not just the book thing in the classroom.

“The pilot project has started in twelve schools. We have four departments instead of the normal three departments, science, art and Commercial.

“Vtech has been added so that those students who would have been roaming the streets of Lagos, and causing havoc are now in the school pursuing their passion in trades like agriculture, building and construction, tech digital skills, entertainment, beauty and fashion.”

The highlight of the event was the individual reading by students of Ayedere Ajibola Senior Grammar School, Ketu-Ikosi, Lagos.