Buratai promotes reading culture among Nigerian students

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

The TY Buratai Literary Initiative (TYBLI) has launched its 2025 activities aimed at fostering a stronger reading culture among Nigerian students.

The initiative, founded and sponsored by former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd), seeks to enhance literacy, encourage creative writing, and reward young literary talents across the country.

In a press statement, Dr Lizi Ben-Theanacho, Chairperson of TYBLI, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to advancing literacy through book placements and literary prizes.

“Our foundational mandate is to contribute to a more literate Nigeria through book placements, ensuring quality, age-appropriate leisure reading materials for youths.

“Further, we exist to incubate literary potentials through the TYBLI Young Adult Literature Prize (YALP).

“TYBLI is an educational outreach and community give-back service initiated and sponsored by Lt. General TY Buratai (Rtd.),” she stated.

Reflecting on the successes of 2024, Dr Ben-Theanacho highlighted key milestones, including the placement of TY Buratai Book Boxes in three schools—one in Nasarawa State and two in the FCT—and the expansion of literary awards in Nigeria.

She noted that the organisation created the largest number of winners for a single literary prize in Nigeria, pushing the boundaries of creative recognition and reward.

“As part of its 2025 agenda, TYBLI plans to build on these achievements with a series of new initiatives:

“Publication of an anthology: The best 10 entries from the 2024 YALP competition will be compiled and published at no cost to the participants, with copies distributed to secondary and tertiary institutions nationwide.

“The grand prize for the 2025 YALP winner has been raised from ₦1 million to ₦1.5 million, thanks to sponsorship from Amb. Babagana Kingibe, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Additionally, each of the six geopolitical zone winners will receive ₦500,000, doubling the previous amount.

“TYBLI will place Book Boxes in five more schools, spanning Kaduna, Nasarawa, and the FCT. This year’s honourees include Kola Onadipe and Frances Effiong, both pioneers in Young Adult Literature (YAL) in Nigeria.

“We are making an impact one reader at a time, transforming literary fortunes six winners at a time. With clarity and focus, we will continue working towards a more literate Nigeria as a vehicle for social transformation,” she said.

However, Dr M.S. Abubakar, Vice President of TYBLI, lamented the decline of reading habits among Nigerian youths, attributing it to the proliferation of digital entertainment and mobile gadgets.

“It is a sorry state. People now prefer to watch movies instead of reading books. If you mention Things Fall Apart, they ask for the movie instead of the book. Unfortunately, there is no way you can compare reading with watching,” he said.

Dr Abubakar emphasised the need for early reading habits among children, noting that failure to cultivate such habits at a young age could have long-term consequences.

“Someone once said, ‘If you want to hide something from an average Nigerian, put it inside a book.’ But readers are leaders. This initiative should be encouraged and sustained,” he added.

He also praised Lt. Gen. Buratai for his commitment to the literary initiative and urged more wealthy Nigerians to invest in literary development, similar to the way industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford funded educational projects in developed nations.