Clever Clogs Books has put plans in place to host the inaugural Akada Children’s Book Festival (ACBF) on Saturday, April 27 in Lagos.
Arguably the first ever book festival focusing on children, the ACBF is an initiative of the publisher of Clever Clogs Books, Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi.
Clever Clogs Books is a niche, start-up publishing house, focused on the production of Nigerian-themed children’s picture books that excite and inspire children, parents and teachers.
The event, which will be held in partnership with the British Council at their premises in Ikoyi, Lagos, has been designed to showcase children’s books written by African authors or books written by authors from around the world for children of colour.
The ACBF targets children aged 13 and below, parents, teachers and guardians as well as those who create child-appropriate content. Scheduled as a one-day festival, the event is poised to attract over 900 attendees with various fun activities lined up.
The festival will also feature relevant activities such as workshops for writers and illustrators, authors’ showcase, interactive and engaging workshops for children, soft skills masterclasses for teachers and parents and a whole lot more.
Speakers to be featured at the workshops are thought leaders drawn from a wide variety of fields which include publishing, public speaking, entertainment, digital media, parenting and educational sectors of Nigeria.
They include: Children’s book author, Pastor Nomthi Odukoya; Founder of OloriSupergal, Tosin Ajibade; Fitness Coach, Maje Ayida; Family Life Therapist, Praise Fowowe; Queen’s Young Leader awardee, Hauwa Ojeifo; Big Brother Naija Ex-housemate, Alex “Unsual” Asogwa; CEO of the Omilola Oshikoya International Company, Omilola Oshikoya; Founder of LagosMums, Yetty Williams and more.
In the words of children’s book author and ACBF convener, Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi, “it is good for African children to see themselves in well produced, world class books. It helps their self-esteem and sense of identity”.
According to her, Clever Clogs Books desires to see Nigeria attain a hundred percent literacy rate and they’re working to achieve this through the books they publish, holding book reading sessions across schools in Nigeria and events such as the Akada Children’s Book Festival.
The ACBF 2019 also offers brands great partnership opportunities as it creates a unique platform to not only push the cause of child literacy but also provides brands the opportunity to engage their primary target audience.
If Nigeria is to attain as high as a eighty percentile literacy rate, events like the ACBF and such similar activities which promote books and the reading culture, while providing solutions to surrounding issues, are to be highly encouraged, supported and duly promoted.
Attendance for the Akada Children’s Book Festival is free but registration is compulsory. Schools and other children-organisations may register in groups by emailing akada@cleverclogsbooks.com
Visit www.cleverclogsbooks.com for more details and follow @cleverclogsbook on social media using the hashtag #AkadaFestival to join the conversation.
