By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
A Civil Society Organization, the Centre for Family Rescue, Law and Development (CENFARLD), has called on the Kogi State Government to introduce a bill that will give legal backing to the operations of the Kogi State Library Board, saying the absence of a governing law has weakened its effectiveness.
The call was part of a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day stakeholders’ engagement on “Reviving the Kogi State Library and Strengthening the Culture of Reading in Kogi State,” held on Friday at the Stella Obasanjo Library Complex in Lokoja.
The communiqué, jointly signed by Ajuma Lilian Okolo, Founder of CENFARLD, and Hamza Aliyu, Chairman of the Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET), urged the state government to promptly forward the proposed bill to the House of Assembly for consideration and passage.
Stakeholders also called for increased budgetary allocation to the Library Board, describing existing funding as grossly inadequate. They urged the management to take immediate steps to reconnect the Stella Obasanjo Library to the national grid, noting that the facility has been without electricity for over 15 years.
The communiqué further recommended partnerships between the Library Board and tertiary institutions to strengthen manpower and technical support, as well as the development of a resource mobilization plan to attract local and international support.
Commending Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his leadership and commitment to open governance, the stakeholders urged him to prioritize the revitalization of the Stella Obasanjo Library as a vital tool for improving literacy, innovation, and civic awareness in the state.
“Functional library services and a vibrant reading culture are essential for human capital development and informed citizenship,” the communiqué stated.
The engagement brought together participants from the National Library of Nigeria (Kogi Office), Kogi State Library Board, Department of Library Science, Kogi State Polytechnic, civil society organizations, and the media.