By Rukayat Moisemhe/ Oluwatope Lawanson

Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro, has joined private sector stakeholders on Friday in unveiling a free, soundproof library and a recreational park.

This initiative aims to foster a reading culture among the youth and provide them with a sense of community.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the library and the recreational park in Ogba area of Lagos was built and donated by Mrs Funlayo Bakare-Okeowo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), FAE envelopes.

The Lagos head of service at the unveiling ceremony in Lagos said that children and youths had stopped reading books and gardening and were more inclined to spending long hours on social media.

He said this had led to a dying reading culture, death of valuable information and a disconnect from a proper social ecosystem.

Agoro urged the business community and other philanthropists to replicate the initiative and pledged the state’s commitment to creating more spaces for private sector players to build.

“Children have stopped reading books, hence creating a library is very important. It encourages them to read physical books, builds their minds and take them away from societal and social media vices.

“Gardening is also an important part of the ecosystem. The initiatives are laudable and they resonate with community building.

In her remarks, Bakare-Okeowo said the initiative was part of her company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the community’s youths to enable them believe in themselves instead of embracing the ‘JAPA’ syndrome.

She noted that the Ogba community library was envisioned as a hub of enlightenment, where curiosity meets opportunity.

She said nestled alongside the library is the community garden where nature, learn and purpose seamlessly come together.

According to her, the space which once filled will hoodlums, is now designed for students yearning for academic excellence, professionals seeking knowledge, and dreamers with stories yet to be written.

Bakare-Okeowo said in a world where information shaped destinies, the library would serve as a bridge connecting young minds to their futures, adults to lifelong learning, and our entire community to the power of literacy.

She noted that Nigerians, who are hardworking and intelligent, need a conducive environment for youths to display their talents.

She added that the library in this age of digitalisation would provide the less privilege without data or internet access the opportunity to walk into the library, read, and access 24 hrs WiFi for research and personal growth.

“The space reflects our commitment to sustainability, education, and fostering a sense of community pride.

“This project is our collective way of giving back to a community that has given us. Ogba is a place of resilience, strength, and boundless potential.

“It is our hope that this library will inspire education by providing access to books, technology, and resources for learning, imagination, by encouraging young readers to explore the limitless worlds that books can offer.

“Together, we are planting not just trees and books but hope, knowledge, and opportunities for generations to come,” she said.

Mr Gabriel Idahosa, President, LCCI, said that the initiative was significant; planting a tree that will grow to become a mighty oak for resources and future generations of children that willbgrow in the community.

He noted that the children and youth would have access to internet, excluded from the noise and able to express themselves at anytime.

Idahosa said the library and park are places of refuge and solace where children would be able to build themselves beyond what they have in their homes, irrespective of their parents’ income levels.

“Every single business should do something like this for the future generation to benefit the community.

“This is the type of philanthropic activity that should be put on the front row of anybody that is thinking CSR,” he said.

Mrs Onikepo Akande, former Minister of Trade and Industry, described the philanthropist as a great industrialist that has touched many lives.

She also pledged to donate books to the facility and urged the youth to embrace reading as a culture for personal growth and development.

A student of Babs Fafunwa Millennium Secondary School, Mr Oladejo Farook, said the library, a home of resources and treasures, laid a foundation of the students’ success in the community.

“Having a library in this community is a huge development as it would give students from every background the opportunity to read quietly away from home distraction.

“It is also a good opportunity for those preparing for exams and we appreciate this huge opportunity,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa