By Joy Salami
Faith Academy, Lokoja, has emerged overall winner of the Yusuf Ali Literary Competition, after winning all three categories: poetry rendition, essay writing and reading.
The competition, organised by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kogi State Chapter, in partnership with Professor Yusuf Ali, SAN, was held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Council in Lokoja.
Al-Azhar International College placed second, while Global Credence Academy came third. Universal Kingdom Academy and Government Science Secondary School also took part, bringing the number of participating schools to five.
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The Chairman of ANA Kogi, Mr. Yusuf Itopa, described the contest as a timely intervention against the declining reading culture among Nigerian youths, blaming excessive mobile phone use and irrelevant online content.
“When we talk of reading culture, we simply mean love for education,” he said, adding that quality education enlightens, civilises, refines and humanises the mind.
According to him, a society that neglects reading risks producing young people who are unprepared to contribute to its social, economic and political development.
“If our children, as we often say, are the future of this country called Nigeria, they need to embrace reading culture if that future is not to be a future of misfits,” he stated.
Itopa thanked Professor Ali, for sponsoring the programme, which he said gave students a platform to develop their reading, writing and critical-thinking skills.
He urged other prominent Nigerians with the capacity to emulate the sponsor by supporting similar initiatives in collaboration with the association, saying this would nurture young talents and strengthen the nation’s future.
He also commended the National President of ANA, Dr Usman Akanbi, for his leadership, assuring him that the Kogi chapter would keep organising literary programmes.
Itopa thanked the participating schools and students for honouring the invitation. Using an agricultural metaphor, he described the students as young people who had already prepared the ground for a thriving reading culture, adding that the competition was designed to nurture their efforts.
He expressed optimism that they would return to their schools with renewed enthusiasm for reading and writing.
