The former Municipal Chief Executive for the Bolgatanga Municipality, Rex Asanga, has inaugurated a modern community library at the Nyariga Girls Junior High School to promote education and improve reading habits among schoolchildren.
The project, aimed at advancing local development, was made possible through collaboration between the Municipal Assembly, the Regional Library Authority, and the Nyariga community.
According to Mr. Asanga, the Nyariga Community Library has been a long-awaited initiative dating back to 2003, when the Center for Sustainable Rural Development (CESRUD) partnered with the Friends of African Village Libraries (FAVL), an American charity founded by Prof. Michael Kevane that supports the establishment of community libraries in Burkina Faso and other countries.
He explained that the project, supported by FAVL and other partners, includes furniture, bookshelves, a librarian’s office, and security arrangements. Mr. Asanga appealed to the current Municipal Chief Executive and the Regional Librarian to take the necessary steps to fully implement the memorandum of understanding that was previously signed to support the project.
“Community libraries play an important role in providing schoolchildren with access to a conducive learning environment and motivating them to cultivate reading as a hobby from an early age,” he said.
Mr. Asanga added that the Upper East Region continues to record poor BECE results due to poor study conditions, lack of seriousness among some learners, and inadequate teaching and learning materials (TLMs). He urged teachers and parents in Nyariga and beyond to encourage children to make use of the library. He disclosed that the project cost GHS 139,000.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. Leslie Kansanga, Upper East Regional Manager of the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA), noted that the authority—established in 1949 under the Gold Coast Ordinance CAP 118—now oversees 136 libraries nationwide, including the newly added Nyariga Community Library.
He emphasized that libraries promote education through reading and research, saying, “Libraries are often referred to as information centers. A reading nation is a winning nation.”
The Headmistress of Nyariga Girls Junior High School, Mavis Lamisi Adongo, expressed appreciation for the gesture, saying the facility will greatly complement the efforts of teachers in improving literacy among learners in the community. She appealed to authorities, NGOs, and individuals to support the school with reading books, computers, and furniture to enhance teaching and learning.
Source: a1radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Moses Anaba Azubire|Bolgatanga
