Promoting Reading Culture Among Youths, Knowledge, Creativity, Enterprise, DeeMoat Hub Debuts in Benin

.        Programme Lead ,Ms. Ugolor (2nd left), Rev               Ugolor (3rd left), others at the event 
Hendrix Oliomogbe 

How to promote knowledge, creativity, enterprise and intellectual engagement among young people took the centre stage weekend in Benun City, Edo State at the inaugural edition of the DeeMoat Books & Ideas programme.

At the inaugural  ceremony which featured Nigerian writer and publisher, Dr. Eghosa Imasuen, author of a non-fiction book, "The Challengers", the Programme Lead of DeeMoat Books and Ideas, Ms. Onome Tovia Ugolor said that the initiative was born out of a strong conviction that communities can only grow when people have access to knowledge, opportunities and spaces for the free exchange of ideas.

Ms. Ugolor said that the platform aimed to reconnect young and upwardly mobile readers with books, authors and ideas through public conversation.

Sounding upbeat, she noted that the Hub will provide spaces where books could stimulate conversations, critical thinking and engagement with issues in the news.

She added: "At a time when reading habits are under pressure and many young people are navigating an increasingly complex world, we believe that books remain powerful instruments of education, imagination and transformation."

Ms. Ugolor explained that the DeeMoat Hub is a platform for learning, innovation, enterprise, creativity and meaningful engagement, with young people as an important focus.

According to her, the Books and Ideas Initiative would enable promising writers to interact freely with readers, while encouraging books to serve as starting points for wider conversations.

She added that the programme would also promote critical thinking, celebrate Nigerian and African writers, and expose emerging generations to stories and perspectives that can broaden their understanding of the world.

 Ms. Ugolor said the initiative was particularly important at a time when reading habits were under pressure and young people were confronting an increasingly complex world.

She called on authors, schools, universities, government institutions, businesses, development partners and members of the public to collaborate with DeeMoat Hub to transform it into a vibrant and enduring platform for intellectual and cultural engagement.

Ms. Ugolor, a lawyer said "The Challengers" was chosen because the author's exploration of ambition, courage, enterprise and overcoming obstacles aligned with the vision of the programme.

She added that DeeMoat Hub hoped to use the initiative to promote a stronger reading culture, encourage critical thinking, celebrate Nigerian and African writers, and connect younger generations with stories and ideas capable of influencing their future

Speaking on The Challengers, Imasuen said the book was an attempt to tell a true story about entrepreneurs he admired and the emergence of a business culture among his generation.

He described the work as narrative non-fiction, explaining that he wanted to document how a group of entrepreneurs built a business and demonstrated principles that are now being replicated by newer generations of businesses, including fintech companies.

The executive director, Africa Network for Economic and Environmental Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, remarked that the broader vision is the need to provide young people with an enabling environment for learning, networking, creativity and leadership development.

Rev. Ugolor noted: "Knowledge is power, and through books, you can gain knowledge, Thr hub is intended to provide an environment where young people could express themselves and benefit from mentorship."

The Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Education, Enodomwanyi Otamere,  passionately pleaded with young people to go back to reading culture, stressing that as a research centre with a variety of books, the Hub is a place worth visiting.

Otamere, who promised to forward "The Challengers" to the Edo State Book Review Committee, for consideration as one of the recommended books for students, lamented that "the use of the internet has actually taken young minds away from reading."