SWOT TEAM Organised Bookworm Challenge in Honour of Prof. AbdulBaqi

 SWOT TEAM Organised Bookworm   Challenge in Honour of Prof. AbdulBaqi 

By  Idris Alooma 

The SWOT Team, a foremost organisation dedicated to educational development in Nigeria and Africa, has organised a Bookworm Challenge in honour of a renowned scholar and administrator, Professor Saudat Salah-AbdulBaqi, as part of efforts to revive reading culture among students and promote effective communication skills.

Speaking at the event, Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, said the Bookworm Challenge restated his administration’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that graduates of both primary and post-primary schools in the state are world-class and adequately prepared to compete globally. According to him, the initiative aligns perfectly with the educational reform agenda of his government, which prioritises quality learning, literacy development and capacity building for young people.

The Governor, who was represented by his Senior Advisor and Counsellor, Alhaji Saadu Salaudeen, praised the honouree, Professor Saudat Salah-AbdulBaqi, for her steadfast commitment to academic excellence and her remarkable contributions to educational development over the years. He described her as a role model whose life of service and dedication to scholarship should inspire the younger generation. He further urged students to imbibe her sterling virtues in order to be well equipped for effective communication and leadership in the future.

In his remarks, a former General Manager of the Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Kwara), Dr. Mahmud AbdulRaheem, called on governments at all levels to invest more in the youth through adequate funding of the education sector. He stressed that such investment would enable young people to contribute meaningfully to national development.

Dr. AbdulRaheem, who also served as Head of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Ilorin, expressed confidence that many of the challenges confronting Nigeria’s education sector would be significantly addressed if governments ensured that annual budgetary allocations to education met the UNESCO benchmark of 25 per cent of total budgets.

tAlso speaking the state Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development Dr. Lawal O. Olorungbebe who disclosed that Reading Culture and Academic Excellence are strategic to the development of younger generation praised Prof. AbdulBaqi for her outstanding contributions to education and mentorship, noting that her passion continues to inspire students and academics alike. He commended participating schools for demonstrating critical thinking, teamwork and oratory skills, aligning with the education reform agenda of the state Government 

Delivering a keynote lecture at the event, a don, Dr. Sarat Adenike Salihu-Abdulakeem, urged schools to deliberately revive the reading culture among students, noting that reading remains the foundation of intellectual growth and effective communication. She also emphasised the critical role of parents and guardians, whom she said must serve as role models by cultivating personal reading habits that would positively influence their children.

Dr. Salihu-Abdulakeem, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English Language, University of Ilorin, delivered a lecture entitled “Reviving Reading Culture to Achieve Effective Communication.” In the lecture, she lamented the steady decline in reading culture globally, attributing it to digital distractions, complacency of parents towards the academic pursuits of their children, and misplaced priorities among young people. According to her, these factors have negatively affected youths’ ability to make logical contributions to discourse and attain proficiency in the English Language.

In her remarks, the honouree, Professor Saudat Salah-AbdulBaqi, who is the Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin, expressed delight and appreciation to the organisers for instituting the Bookworm Challenge in her honour. She noted that the event coincided with her birthday, describing it as a