I am the Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative, is a non-governmental organization (NGO) founded by two sisters, Renee Okocha and Zara Okocha, who are based in London. They are young authors and illustrators of over 55 NERDC-approved foundational and educative picture books for primary school children in Nigeria.
In partnership with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Nigeria Police Force, Federal Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Commission, the desire to bring about change driven by a national literacy-rich society led to the development of the IFON Classroom Library Project. The IFON Classroom Library Project is an initiative aimed at improving early reading skills among children from low-income groups and children with learning challenges. It is a classroom library concept that makes available colourful illustrative and attractive reading materials on shelves, placed in a corner in the classrooms for children at the foundation learning stage.
While commending the Federal Government of Nigeria for the efforts and intervention in the North East zone, the insurgent prone areas, through the building of classrooms, vocational and ECCDE Centres, it is worthy of noting that the IFON Classroom Library Project is a laudable concept that can support the Nigerian government achieve its goal of rehabilitating the out-of-school children and ensuring literacy, especially at the foundational stage if a literacy-rich environment is created.
The IFON classroom library development strategy is a sure way to stimulate literacy skills through literacy-rich environments and eradicate the poor reading culture of Nigerian pupils.
Minister of States for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.
Promoting our IFON classroom libraries requires community efforts that involve the students, the teachers, and the parents.
Step 1: A student picks a book to borrow from the shelf
Step 2: The teacher records the book in the teacher’s record book.
Step 3: The student takes the book home and reads it to a parent or guardian.
Step 4: The parent signs the children/parents’ record book.
Step 5: The student returns the borrowed book and the teacher records it in the teacher’s record book.
Step 6: The student returns the book back to the shelf and is allowed to borrow another book.
