World Literacy Day: British Council boosts skills, employment for Nigerian youth — McGowan

…as Panaramic Entertainment presents Queen Amina live comic reading

As the world marks World Literacy Day, the British Council has reiterated its commitment to equipping Nigerian young people with the skills and knowledge needed to improve their employment prospects, while promoting innovative approaches to literacy and learning.

The council highlighted its focus on youth development alongside Panaramic Entertainment’s presentation of Queen Amina, a live comic reading aimed at engaging audiences through storytelling and the arts.

Donna McGowan, country director at British Council Nigeria, speaking during the World Literacy Day commemoration held at the council’s Lagos Office on Tuesday, said, “We’re all about engaging in education, supporting skills development specifically for young people.

“We also know that literacy and lifelong learning are so important for sparking imagination.”

McGowan applauded Panaramic Entertainment for collaborating with the British Council to host the 2026 World Literacy Day, themed: “Re-discovering Nigerian History through Comic Books”, as she emphasised that literacy and reading is so crucial in education and skills development, specifically for young people.

“Creative imagination has been a specific focus on cartoons and animation, which also connects to the wider area of creativity. Working, reading, learning, literature, and wider education are among the main areas of focus for the British Council in Nigeria,” she noted.

Besides, she noted that the theme aligns with the British Council’s objectives in education, English, and the arts, particularly in promoting literacy, cultural awareness, and creative learning among young people.

Aisha Abdullahi, a business development expert, explained in her address why UNESCO inaugurated Literacy Day some 60 years ago.

“There are millions of people across the world who don’t have access to education, and without literacy, you cannot be a functional part of society. Imagine if you didn’t know how to read or write.

“Everything you do today is connected to the fact that you can read and write. The phones that you have, the games you play, even the books you are reading, and non-academic things that you are doing, everything is connected to your ability to read,” she said.

She urged the students to strive to make a remarkable impact in society as Queen Amina did in her time.

“The reason we’re still talking about Queen Amina in 2026, after hundreds of years, is because of the impact she’s been able to make in society.

“For the girls, think of all the things you can do to make an impact, and for boys, think of Queen Amina as a character that you can admire and look at as part of our very rich Nigerian history and culture,” she said.

Adeyemi Adeola from Lagos State government encouraged the students to focus on their academics, because it grants them freedom.

“When you’re talking about literacy, it means freedom, and freedom gives you a voice. You should focus on whatever you’re taught in school, because education is the bedrock of whatever we do,” she said.

However, she urged the students not to limit themselves to whatever they are taught in the classroom, and never believe that they can never do anything.

Hope Emori, brand manager at Peak, encouraged the students to ensure they go beyond their comfort zones and keep reading.

“Read books, be curious, learn about anything and everything. As a brand, our mission is for people to reach for their peak, irrespective of age.

“It can be a child, young children like you, teenagers, young adults, elderly people,” she said.

Tunji Anjorin, the editor-in-chief of Panaramic Entertainment, explained that the organisers selected four schools with 10 students from each of the schools.

“We picked two public schools and two private schools, such as British International School, Lagos, Multi Grace College, Iyana-Ipaja, Akande Dahunsi Memorial High School, Osborne, and Ilado Secondary School.

“We wanted to have a good representation of Lagos schools as possible, because World Literacy Day is a global celebration and today is the 60th anniversary of the event,” he explained.

At the end of the drawing competition, Munachimso Ken-Ugwuh from British International School, Lagos, emerged as the winner. Peter Kassim got the first runner-up position, while Esther Fakorede from Multi Grace Private School secured the second runner-up position.

The best drawing got a prize of N50,000, while the first and second runners-up received N30,000 and N20,000, respectively.

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