Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Practitioners (NBRP) and the National Library of Nigeria (NLN) have kicked off the 2025 Book City activities with an official opening ceremony and a reading contest in Abuja.

Coming a day after the World Book Day, the annual Book City Project organized by NBRP is aimed at ramping up reading activities in a selected city in a state, as a means of promoting literacy and the reading culture amongst its residents and the Nigerian public. Previous states to host the book city include Port-Harcourt, Uyo and Lagos.

During the year-long event activities are lined up to engage the public including a book review competition, book city walk, etc., both scheduled to hold later in the year in the FCT, the 2025 Book City.

Themed ‘Reading, A Unifying Factor’, the NBRP in collaboration with the nation’s apex library and other stakeholders are set to ensure the period’s resounding success, beginning with the launch of the book city logo in August 2024 at the national library, and the reading competition amongst the junior secondary school participants at the opening ceremony, where the Junior Secondary School Apo, emerged the winner, and the gifting of participants at the event with a literature text to review and upload to the social media with the hashtag #2025AbujaBookCity.

Speaking at the event, National Librarian, Professor Veronica Anunobi urged participants and general residents of Abuja to view the event as an opportunity for personal and public development.
She described reading as more than just a personal habit, but a bridge between ignorance and knowledge, and the first sign of critical thinking.

And whilst Nigeria is working towards balancing digital and printed technology for education, Anunobi said citizens must take advantage of the major channel of access for reading for a greater number of the populace (physical books) to engage them.

“Parents, I urge you, have your children read. Parents should also endeavour to read. If you cannot read listen to audio books. I implore you all to read. Encourage the young ones to read more, and preach reading to them.

“In the next 365 days, let us practice and live by the words of the famous American children’s author Lemony Snicket, “Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them”. Let the book city spirit shine bright across the nation. Let the books spirit shine forth from your own lives. You will be amazed at the difference it is going to make in your life.”

In his speech, the National Copyright Commission (NCC), John Asein commended the book city stakeholders highlighting the significance of engaging the public’s interest with book in an easily distracted world.

Asein called on stakeholders, private sectors, international organizations to invest in reading infrastructures such as libraries, book corners and literacy programmes, and making these infrastructures available to children in rural areas, people with disabilities including the deaf and the blind.

On its part, the commission reiterated its dedication to fighting piracy via the law, a public offence that deprives authors of the benefits off the rights of their intellectual property.

With the NCC Act of 2022, Asein said book pirates can be sentenced to 10 years imprisonment without option of fine, or bail. The commission also has the rights to pull-down works uploaded online that infringes the right of another.

The 2025 Abuja Book City Project runs April 24, 2025 to April 24, 2026.
“We are committed to protecting the creators’ rights and to promoting the culture of reading”, he said.