•World Book Day
The TY Buratai Literary Initiative (TYBLI) has urged parents to take greater responsibility in rebuilding children’s reading culture, warning that excessive exposure to digital media is eroding literacy habits among young Nigerians.
The call was made today in Abuja at a press conference to flag off the initiative’s 2026 activities, held as part of events marking World Book Day, reports The Guardian.
Observed annually, World Book Day was established by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright, while encouraging access to books, especially among young people.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of TYBLI, Dr Elizabeth Ben-Iheanacho, said Nigeria must respond deliberately to the challenges posed by rapid technological change in a way that strengthens, rather than undermines, literacy development.
“There is no doubt that every day we are all faced with growing challenges. The challenges of yesterday are nothing compared to what we have tomorrow,” she said.
Ben-Iheanacho noted that the expansion of the internet, social media, and artificial intelligence has made information more accessible but has also increased distractions, particularly among young people.
According to her, while these platforms cannot be ignored, they must be properly managed to serve educational and developmental purposes.
“You cannot wish away social media, but you can domesticate it and make it serve your purposes,” she said.
She expressed concern that many parents now allow unrestricted access to digital devices, describing it as a practice often mistaken for modern sophistication.
“In the days of old, there used to be children’s time belts on television. Now, most parents are letting their children have unlimited access to media. We think it is sophistication, but we are damaging them,” she said.
She warned that the trend encourages premature exposure of children to adult content and weakens their cognitive and emotional development.
The TYBLI chairman urged parents to take responsibility for regulating children’s engagement with digital platforms, stressing that government intervention alone is not sufficient.
“It is not just about government introducing laws. Parents must also watch what their children have access to,” she said.
Ben-Iheanacho reiterated TYBLI’s commitment to rebuilding reading culture among Nigerian youths through targeted literary interventions.
She said the initiative focuses on Young Adult Literature (YAL) as a tool for nurturing values, self-awareness, and leadership skills among teenagers.
Since its establishment in 2024, TYBLI has deployed mobile library “Book Boxes” to eight secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States to improve access to reading materials.
She added that the TYBLI Young Adult Literature Prize has recorded growing participation, with entries increasing from 51 in 2024 to 101 in 2025.
For 2026, the chairman noted that submissions for the YAL Prize will open in May, followed by placement of Book Boxes in selected secondary schools in June.
She also announced an increase in the grand prize for the competition, with the national winner to receive N2 million, up from N1.5 million in 2025.
