The Vice-Chancellor, Kaduna State University (KASU), Professor Barnabas Quirix has called on Nigerian authors to introduce graphic illustrations in their writings, as a way of restoring interest in reading by Nigerians.
Quirix made this call on Friday, 13th November, 2015 while giving his speech as Chairman on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the 34th Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), which held at the Arewa House, Kaduna on the theme: “Local and Global Textures of New Nigerian Writing”.
According to him, it is regrettable that the present Nigerian state is one that records low rates in reading culture, where information supersedes knowledge or no knowledge with only information being circulated, adding: “We have a Nigeria that has been taken over by a particular set of writers that are projecting their own opinion and all sorts about Nigeria. We have a Nigeria where the social media appear to be the driving media on all forms of communication.”
The KASU VC proffered candid advice to ANA thus: “I suggest that one of the ways of restoring interest in reading is to begin to introduce a lot of graphic illustrations in our writings. You may not know but there is a lot of power in graphic illustration. When you see a big text book that is all texts, for me, I think I will just scan through and throw away most of the things you say.”
While maintaining that for Nigerian writers to have a new Nigeria where there is rapid socio-economic development, restoration of the dignity of reading and where people can be set up in creative displays, the University Don stressed the need to eliminate arrogant barriers that have separated writers.
“In the creative displays, we have always had arrogant barriers that have separated us. All of you are artists whether you are a painter, an architect or writer, you are an artist and we are supposed to work for a new Nigeria that can eliminate these barriers and harness all the energies together so that you can give us the kind of growth that we desire;” he said.
Other dignitaries present at the event were ANA President, Professor Remi Raji; former Presidents of ANA, Dr. Wole Okediran and Dr. Jerry Agada; former Vice-President of ANA, Professor May Nwoye; President, Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists (SONTA), Professor Sunday Enessi Ododo; Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Kaduna State University (KASU), Professor Alex Kure; Professor Harry Garuba of the University of Cape town, South-Africa who was the Keynote speaker; Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, as well as veteran author, Odia Ofeimun.
Caleb Nor
Corporate Affairs Unit
NICO, Abuja-FCT