I recently got asked the question ‘what do you do’ in the presence of a friend and she exclaimed ‘the question ought to be: what doesn’t she do?’ as quite frankly, I do a number of things! Ultimately, I am a (development) consultant. I am also Founder/Editor of a social enterprise named The Book Banque and a writer, among other things.
The Book Banque was inspired by an understanding of how much power knowledge holds, and the desire to make education accessible across Nigeria. I often found myself asking questions like: “what if others had the same opportunity [as I did]?” “What if they had access to quality of education?” “Would that radically change the way we think as Nigerians, and chart a different trajectory for Nigeria?”
I found that one of the major deterrents of enrolment in Nigerian schools is the lack of access to books and materials. For those who do attend school religiously, critical thinking is extremely low. Thus, I founded The Book Banque with the aim of collecting and sorting academic and non-academic books, and redistributing them to schools in disadvantaged communities. By doing this, we hope that more children will be incentivised to attend school, and will also – by reading the non-academic books placed in the library units we create for them – be forced to broaden their horizon, and learn beyond the classroom.
The Book Banque was also inspired by the desire to improve the reading culture among Nigerians which is achieved through our virtual book club which reviews two African Literature pieces a month. Through this, we aim to also challenge young Nigerians to re-write Nigeria’s narrative – that is, by learning about history and understanding Nigeria’s diverse issues – and to genuinely appreciate and preserve our cultural heritage.
In 5-10 years, The Book Banque would have set up several functional library units for schools in disadvantaged communities across the nation. We would have contributed significantly to keeping children in school, and the strengthening educational curriculums.
The Book Banque would have mini libraries and creative hubs that will cater distinctively to different social classes. It would have hosted tons of events that would forge a new bond and identity among younger Nigerians – a bond of heritage and a collective responsibility to our nation. Can you now understand why I get excited about its 5-10 years plan?
The Lagos Hustle 