Executive Chair of ICCEF, Dr. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, (4th left) alongside guest speaker, Olubukola Agbalajobi-Odetayo and student participants.
A Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, Innocent Chukwuemeka Chukwuma Empowerment Foundation (ICCEF) has taken up the initiative to tutor students on reading culture to upscale literacy in the country.
The Foundation on Wednesday 6th May, 2026 at Innocent Chukwuma House, Ojodu, Lagos, organized an Inter-School Book Reading and Essay Competition Awards Ceremony.
This year’s competition comprised of eight public and private secondary schools across Lagos.
The students were subjected to read the Biography of late Innocent Chukwuma from February to April. They were engaged with the book through guided reading sessions and wrote essays exploring the life, values, and legacy of the social activist and human rights crusader during his life time.
The awards marked the culmination of the initiative, celebrating the efforts and achievements of participating students while recognising outstanding performances across the schools.
The winners from the 2026’s competition are:
Atanda Jelilat Temilade
Mistura Okikiola Momohsanni
Obansanwo Boluwatife
Kamsiyochukwu Sylvia Otuh
Okewusi Amanda
Obode Eghonghon Hilary
Joseph Eniola Emmanuela
Jordan Mojubaoluwa Asaju
Itsoghena Success Yusuf
Olukade Young-Joey Damola
Olofintuade Precious Oyinkansola
Oyeleke Grace Opeyemi
Adunoluwa Sarah Morolani
Oluwatoniloba Israel Coker
Abolade IfeOluwa Oladele
Speaking with Daily Champion shortly after the programme, the Executive Chair of ICCEF, Dr Mrs Josephine Effah – Chukwuma said the programme was designed as an empowerment foundation that was set up after the passing of late Chukwuma who was a renowned social justice crusader, justice sector reform specialist and human rights activist.
She disclosed that right from late Chukwuma’s university days, “He was expelled from Nsukka, and he had to fight to go back to school to graduate. A gender equity advocate, a good governance advocate, a man of many parts.”
“So this foundation was set up to continue his legacy and one of such legacy projects is the library, his personal library,” she said.
The library which had about 1,600 books was eventually moved to the school to serve as a learning citadel for the public.
“One of the major objectives of the library is to promote and reawaken a reading culture among young people, noting “The reading culture has gone down because a lot of young people are now so distracted by sight and sound.
“So how can we do this? So that’s why we now organized a reading and essay writing competition. His biography, ‘Against All Odds,’ which came out last year and that biography inspires, because he was from very humble beginnings, wandering the Biafran world and he became a great man.
“And there are a lot of young people these days who feel that way, who feel so disconnected, who feel so frustrated, feeling that the world is against them and that book is telling them against all odds, you can do something and that is why we do this.”
She added, “This is a pilot scheme, eight schools: three public schools and five private schools. We plan to expand to others to reach more young people to read, to know, to realize that they can be anything they want to be in life.”
Having gone through the reading, she noted, “Today, we are recognizing their efforts, so that’s why we are gathered here today. And I must say, very inspiring for me, because I read all those essays, and I could see and imagine those children as innocent. How after reading that book they’re inspired to be the best.”
Speaking on behalf of the teachers, she said, “It is an opportunity for the students to have the habit of reading. I appreciate the organization for bringing this in. It took me back to when I was in secondary school, there was no social media, our focus was to read.”
She therefore added that the programme “goes a long way to build the vocabulary of the students.”
She further stated that her school will leverage on the programme to start up a reading club.
For a better society
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