See full list: 19 Lagos public schools receive 1,300 books from Ireland to boost reading culture

• Ireland donated 1,300 books to 19 public primary schools in Lagos and the National Library of Nigeria.

• Each beneficiary received 65 books, mostly by Nigerian authors, to help improve children's reading culture.

• ZODML urged schools, alumni and PTAs to expand the collections into full school libraries.

• The donation comes as education stakeholders battle Nigeria's growing literacy crisis, with 75% of children reportedly classified as "learning poor."

Ireland has donated 1,300 children's books to 19 public primary schools in Lagos and the National Library of Nigeria in a move aimed at improving reading culture among young Nigerians.

The books were officially handed over at the National Library of Nigeria in Yaba, Lagos, where the Ambassador of Ireland to Nigeria, Peter Ryan, was represented by Nigerian-Irish writer and scholar Aduke Gomez.

Each of the 20 beneficiaries received a bookshelf stocked with 65 children's fiction and history books, with most of the titles written by Nigerian authors to help pupils connect with stories that reflect their own lives and experiences.

In his remarks, Ryan said the initiative reflects Ireland's commitment to supporting education and encouraging children to read more.

"This is a heartfelt project for the Irish ambassador, who is committed to the betterment of Nigerian society. Reading 65 books will further enhance the pupils’ education," Ryan said.

The books were assembled and delivered by the Zaccheus Onumba Dibiaezue Memorial Libraries (ZODML), a literacy-focused organisation that has been promoting reading culture across Nigeria.

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Chairman of ZODML, Ifeoma Esiri, described each bookshelf as the beginning of what should eventually become a fully equipped school library.

"Every bookcase we hand over today carries forward his conviction: that a child given access to books can go as far as their curiosity will carry them.

"We are not simply distributing books. We are placing, in each of these nineteen public primary schools, the first collection of what I hope will become a full school library. My appeal to the head teachers of these schools is this: let this be the cornerstone, not the ceiling.

"Go to your alumni, your PTA, your community. Ask them to add to these books until you build a library around them."

Esiri said the donation comes at an important time, especially after Nigeria's Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, recently raised concerns that 75% of Nigerian children are "learning poor," meaning many cannot read simple sentences expected for their age.

She explained that the donated books specifically target children between five and ten years old, the age bracket most affected by poor reading ability.

"The seventy-five per cent described as learning poor are, by definition, children who cannot yet read a simple sentence, and it is precisely this age group, five to ten years old, that today’s books are intended for.

"Most of the sixty-five books in each bookcase are fiction, and most are written by Nigerian authors, so that a child sees their own streets, food, and names reflected in them, and understands that literature is not something that happens elsewhere. It happens here. It happens to them. It feels fitting that this gift comes from Ireland, because Ireland and Nigeria already share a literary connection.

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"When Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated novels, he found the title in the poem of the Irish poet W. B. Yeats. Ireland once gave one of Nigeria’s great writers his title. Today, Ireland gives Nigeria’s children the start of 19 libraries. Reading is the foundation on which every other kind of learning is built."

Also speaking, the Head of the National Library of Nigeria, Lagos, Obianuju Onuorah, praised the donation, noting that the library's Green Library receives about 500 children every month, with roughly 3,000 books read during those visits.

She stressed that more efforts are needed to encourage reading among children if Nigeria hopes to reverse the country's literacy challenges.

Receiving the books on behalf of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Chairman Hakeem Shittu, represented by LASUBEB Librarian Odunayo Adebowale, thanked the Irish government and ZODML for the donation.

He assured that the books would be properly distributed and maintained in the beneficiary schools.

"Adequate monitoring mechanisms will be put in place to guarantee that the books and bookcases are well maintained, carefully preserved, and effectively utilised for the benefit of our learners.

"School heads, teachers, and library personnel will be encouraged to make these resources an integral part of teaching and learning activities, thereby maximising their impact."

The beneficiary schools include:

• Apostolic Church Nursery and Primary School

• Ajelogo Nursery and Primary School

• Orisiqun Nursery and Primary School

• Baptist Nursery and Primary School

• Ayetoro Primary School, Enitan Primary School

• Premier Day Nursery and Primary School

• Gbaja Nursery and Primary School

• Itire Nursery and Primary School

• Ishaga Close Primary School

• Ilasamaja Road Primary School

• Islamic Model Primary School

• Afolabi Primary School

• Ago Owu Primary School

• Aregbe Primary School

• Folorunsho Primary School

• Oduduwa Primary School

• Ogo Oluwa Primary School

• Somolu Primary School

• National Library's Green Library