The Ogun State Government has approved Reading as a compulsory subject in all public primary and secondary schools across the state, marking a major shift in its literacy policy.
The development followed sustained advocacy by the SixthSense Initiative, a literacy-focused non-governmental organisation founded by Chief Abiodun Lasile.
Announcing the breakthrough in a statement made available to PLATFORM TIMES on Sunday in Abeokuta, Lasile described the decision as “a watershed moment” in the campaign to revive reading culture among children and young adults.
According to him, the journey began over a decade ago with deliberate efforts to strengthen literacy content and curriculum support for schools.
“Before I started writing in 2015, I had carefully conceptualised a literacy advocacy path. Within six months, I completed 23 manuscripts, finalised six titles and published four books.
The four books were presented to the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for evaluation, and three of them were approved for examination and reading,” he said.
Lasile added that the books subsequently received certifications from the State Universal Basic Education Board, the Universal Basic Education Commission and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council.
He noted that the advocacy formally commenced in 2017 with the launch of the SixthSense Children Reading Competition, followed by the Summer Children Reading Camp and other literacy-driven programmes.
The founder explained that the initiative adopted a four-pronged strategy targeting government, schools, parents and the organisation itself, describing the approach as instrumental to the eventual policy shift.
“We pushed consistently for over a decade. What once seemed unrealistic has now become a reality. Reading is now a subject in our schools in Ogun State,” he said.
Lasile, who also serves as Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Ogun State chapter, expressed appreciation to education authorities and other stakeholders for supporting the campaign.
Education stakeholders and reading culture advocates have since hailed the move, describing it as a bold intervention capable of addressing declining literacy levels and improving academic performance among pupils.
They argued that making Reading a stand-alone subject would not only enhance comprehension skills but also strengthen students’ performance across other disciplines.
Efforts to get official confirmation and further details from the Ogun State Ministry of Education were ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
The policy is expected to take effect in the current academic session, though implementation guidelines are yet to be publicly outlined.
