Polytechnic don, Nana decries waning reading culture in Nigeria

A Chief Lecturer in Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic and founder, Uyo Book Club, UBC, Dr Udeme Nana, has decried the waning reading culture in Nigeria.

He noted that the phenomenon is the cause of reduction in deep thinking and critical reasoning in the society.

Speaking in Uyo during the January 2026 reading session of Uyo Book Club, Nana regretted that the present society has abandoned the reading habit for the pleasures of scrolling, texting and skimming.

“Nigerians seem to be losing the habit of deep reading which helps to reshape the mind. It seems that we are in a society where the habit of reading is waning,” he said.

Nana pointed out that a large population of readers is the best for democracy as reading enables people to understand issues better.

“Reading enables people to understand arguments, reflect on competing claims and platforms and reason about the alternatives. When reading habit declines in the society, the capacity for rational engagements reduces and people are no longer moved by ideas but by empty slogans and resort to religion, ethnicity and vote selling,” he added.

The lecturer reiterated the mission of Uyo Book Club initiative to change the bad narrative of poor reading culture in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.

Nana, in his review of the Uyo Book Club Book of of the month – The Alchemist – written by Paulo Coelho, regretted that the reading culture in the society has gone so low, adding that the book club was set up to revive reading habit in the society.

“Uyo Book Club is in its 11th year. We set up the Book Club because we noticed that the reading culture was going down .

Nana recalled a situation in the National Assembly where an Electoral Bill was allegedly passed  into law without the lawmakers reading it.

He inducted the Akwa Ibom state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Barr Obo Effanga, into Uyo Book Club and urged him to establish a Book Club in the Akwa Ibom State Electoral Commission Headquarters.

Responding, Effanga who was the Special Guest Reader during the session, explained the wonders of books, adding that voters who made informed choices during elections are readers.

“Reading should be cultivated as a virtue because it enables people to concentrate and remain focused in life,” Effanga said.

Polytechnic don, Nana decries waning reading culture in Nigeria