About Us
To Read. To Learn. To Grow. From Books to Prosperity
About BookNation
BookNation is a volunteer-driven, membership-based collaborative ecosystem established to unite individuals, communities, institutions, and partners for the purpose of transforming lives and societies through innovative reading, learning and knowledge development programmes that shape strong character, create measurable impact, inspire enduring prosperity, strengthen holistic resilience, promote sustainable development, and leave lasting legacies.
BookNation utilises curated books, intentional, purposeful and systematic reading, and lifelong learning, and the systematic creation, acquisition, preservation, dissemination, practical application, and multiplication of transformational knowledge in carrying out its visions and missions.
BookNation Transformational Knowledge Ecosystem is a movement that encompasses intentional reading, purposeful learning, and development of transformational knowledge and it is committed to restoring the culture of reading and lifelong learning.
We empower individuals, strengthen institutions, and contribute to sustainable development through promotion of literacy, reading culture development, professional development, research, advocacy, institutional partnerships, publishing, and community engagement.
We believe that sustainable progress begins with informed minds and that books remain humanity’s most powerful instruments for transforming lives and societies.
BookNation's IDENTITY DESCRIPTION
Membership Based
describes the basis of participation
Volunteer Driven
describes the primary human resource model
Transformal Knowledge
describes the type and purpose of knowledge
Ecosystem
describes the overall organisational mode
Strategic Vision and Mission
Our Core Values
Purpose
Reading
Learning
Knowledge
Character
Impact
Legacy
Prosperity
Sustainability
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Purpose We are guided by clear intention and direction in all we do
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Collaboration & Partnership We work with individuals, institutions, organisations, and communities to multiply impact.
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Curated Books We promote carefully selected books that provide quality and relevant knowledge
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Purpose-Driven Reading We connect reading to specific goals
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Continuous Learning We embrace intellectual growth through lifelong learning
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Transformational Knowledge We pursue knowledge that changes thinking, behaviour, capacity, capability, and results.
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Character We believe that true learning produces understanding, guides behaviour, strengthens integrity, and promotes responsible living
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Impact & Prosperity We apply knowledge to create opportunities, solve problems, generate value, and produce meaningful outcomes that transform individuals, communities, institutions, and societies.
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Sustainability We build systems that sustain reading, learning, knowledge development, and transformation for lasting impact.
The Story of BookNation
The journey began with a simple conviction:
“Something must be done.”
Every meaningful movement begins with a concern that refuses to remain a concern. For BookNation, that concern was the declining culture and habit of reading among children, young people and adults, particularly within schools and communities. As an educational stakeholder with professional training in Primary Education Studies and English Language, I understood that reading is more than an academic skill—it is a fundamental gateway to knowledge, learning and personal development.
The First Steps
In 2023, we took deliberate steps towards launching a Reading Revolution Campaign, beginning with reading competitions in selected village communities across Abuja, Kogi, Niger and Nasarawa States. The early initiative brought together Manuel RAHIM, an educator; Dr. Success Ebije Omada, a philanthropist; Mr. Kelvin Ebuka, an ICT professional; Salama Shawai Adamu, a promoter; and others who contributed to the conversations and development of the idea.
Meetings were held, partnerships explored and preparations commenced. However, practical challenges and the difficulty of securing the resources required eventually led to the suspension of the project. The idea, however, did not die.
Seeing The challenge Beyond Reading
Subsequent grassroots engagement deepened our understanding of the problem. We encountered communities where children and young people struggled with school attendance, motivation, educational support and constructive engagement. These experiences revealed that the challenge extended beyond reading itself. Educational disengagement can create vulnerabilities and limit access to the knowledge, discipline, aspirations and opportunities that education can provide.
At the same time, the rapid growth of smartphones, social media, short-form content and digital entertainment was reshaping attention and learning. We therefore began asking a broader question:
How can we help people use books, education and technology intentionally to learn, grow and build better lives?
We also became concerned about narratives such as “school is a scam” and the growing glorification of fraudulent shortcuts to wealth among some young people. We recognised the need to promote a different pathway—one grounded in knowledge, competence, character, legitimate work, creativity and value creation.
The Turning Point
A significant turning point came through our engagement with Amb. Msurshima Comfort Chenge, whose encouragement challenged us to look beyond a single reading programme and examine the problem more deeply. Her counsel to return to research, strengthen the concept and develop a model with broader capacity for impact prompted us to pause and rethink the initiative. We began asking: What if the real challenge is not simply that people are not reading enough, but that we need an ecosystem in which books, reading, learning and knowledge reinforce one another? This led to the reinvention of the original concept. We moved from thinking primarily about a reading campaign to envisioning a sustainable and scalable movement for transformational knowledge.
The BookNation's Vision
Why BookNation
The name BookNation reflects a vision of intellectual belonging. It is not a nation defined by territory, ethnicity, religion, profession or political affiliation. It is a community united by a shared belief in the power of books, reading, learning and transformational knowledge. To belong to BookNation is to believe that knowledge should be pursued purposefully, learning should be continuous, and what we learn should contribute to the transformation of our lives and society.
BookNation has evolved beyond a conventional reading campaign. It is a membership-based, volunteer-driven, collaborative Transformational Knowledge Ecosystem connecting people, books, learning, knowledge, communities and institutions. Our central question is no longer simply: “How do we get people to read?” It is: “How do we help people read with purpose, learn intentionally, develop useful knowledge, apply what they learn and continuously grow?” We believe: Reading should stimulate thinking. Thinking should deepen learning. Learning should develop knowledge. Knowledge should inform action. Purposeful action should contribute to transformation. Technology should support this process rather than undermine it, and education should continue beyond the classroom.
The Strategic Logic Behind the Approaches
These approaches collectively support BookNation's transformational pathway:
- Purpose
- Curated Books
- Reading
- Learning
- Knowledge
- Character
- Application
- Impact
- Prosperity
Why we exist
Declining reading habits, weak learning cultures, poor knowledge application, and limited lifelong learning continue to hinder educational quality, leadership development, innovation, productivity, and sustainable development despite significant advances in education and technology.
BookNation exists to reverse this trend by promoting intentional reading, and developing the culture of reading as the foundation of lifelong transformation.
Leadership and Executive Committee
At the heart of our mission is a dedicated team of educators, innovators, subject matter experts, strategic partners, patrons, advisors, volunteers and community champions who believe in the transformative power of literacy, learning and shared knowledge.
IBRAHIM Emmanuel
President
Evg. Amb. CHENGE Msurshima Comfort
Chairman, BookNation Leadership & Advisory Council
Dr OMADA Success Ebije
Chairman of the Governing Board for BookNation Development Foundation
Dr EGBITA Ugbalu Attaochu
Advisor, Education, Research & Digital Learning
Dr OCHALLA Mark
Advisor, Lifelong Learning
ABU ThankGod
National Coordinator
Our Flagship Programmes
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BookNation Reading Revolution
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BookNation Institute of Reading & Learning Science (BNIRLS)
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National Reading Summit
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Professional Reading Certification Programmes
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Community Reading Clubs
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School Partnership Programmes
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Reading Campaigns and Readathons
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Research and Publishing Initiatives
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Awards, Honours And Recognition Programmes
Partnership
BookNation invites governments, institutions, organizations, development partners, and individuals to join us in building a future where books inspire learning, learning builds knowledge, knowledge shapes character, character creates impact, impact inspires prosperity, and prosperity sustains development.
