If your book is really good and well promoted, Nigerians will start reading just to read your book. Before Harry Potter, peopl believed that "children don't read long books" but those same children read Harry Potter today!
(And when I started Nairaland, I was told, "Nigerians don't participate in web forums", but these same Nigerians joined Nairaland)

orikinla, i took some time to read your comments and found them so fascinating. come to think of it, you are also contributing to the issue at stake. it's like a medicine man not able to cure his own sickness. you tried to market your book which emphasize true love. How is that adding to the upliftment of the nation. is that what Nigerians we are trying to encourage to read really need? I reserve the rest of my comments until you can tell me the other titles you have in your name.

seun, this is my very first visit to Nairaland and I see it as one of the best things that can happen to Nigerian cyber literates. keep it up.

how will you prove it wrong? is it by publishing a book on love? Nigeria need more critical and impactful reading materials other than ones than tries to play on emotions.

Na so!

Radiant, hope you have calmed down on your stroking intriques. ready to discuss the topic on ground

lovebayus:

Radiant, hope you have calmed down on your stroking intriques. ready to discuss the topic on ground

Take time o

just checked ur profile. Very Funny!!!!

You did?

later. Got to go, Bye

This is very interesting.
There are very few threads on this forum that have generated as much response as this. It shows that it is of concern to many. And, the comments have been generally stimulating.
This same question, Do Nigerians read? was at the heart of a recent survey conducted in Lagos, Enugu, Oyo, Edo, Kogi, Kaduna, Osun and Rivers States, by Lumina Foundation, publishers of The Lumina journal. According to results of this survey summed up in the brochure of Get Nigeria Rading again 2006 by The Rainbow Club in Port Harcourt, the No of literate Nigerians who read is 59%. The percentage of those who read soft-news publications is 22%; those who read for utilitarian purposes, 22% and those who read newspapers for information, 13%. Those who read for leisure, 2% and those who do not read due to low buying power, 41%. The survey showed that the true reason the literate population does not read is not so much 'low buying power' but 'misprioritisation.' These same people spend money on looking good or fancy telephones sets.
We need to commend people like the founder of the Rainbow Book Club, Koko Kalango, who in her little way, is try to get Nigerians to read.
For those who love to help support her efforts - and she sure needs all the support she can get, you may reach her through her Rainbow Bookshop, at 20 Igbodo Street, old GRA, Port Harcourt. Tel 084 579966, 0802 3187 731, 0803 5508 579. Or send a mail to info@rainbowbookshop.com. Am looking at the brochure as I write. I am looking at A dozen ways to JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Adopt our reading campaign as your organisations's social responsibility
Pick up the bill for the 2007 'Get Nigeria Reading again! campaign
Make a donation in cash or kind towards our work
Pay the 'price' put on a table at the Garden City Literary Evening (GCLE) and get a table for 10 branded to your organisation
Build up our library as a friend of Rainbow Book Club by making a donation of N12,000 or multiples of N12,000. (This sum represents the cost of a book a month for a year.)
Donate new or used books to our library
Build us a website
Stop by and volunteet your services
Set up a reading group
Give a good idea.
Read!

@ Orikinla
toto le so (U SPEAK THE TRUTH)

TEE ZERO:

This is very interesting.
There are very few threads on this forum that have generated as much response as this. It shows that it is of concern to many. And, the comments have been generally stimulating.
This same question, Do Nigerians read? was at the heart of a recent survey conducted in Lagos, Enugu, Oyo, Edo, Kogi, Kaduna, Osun and Rivers States, by Lumina Foundation, publishers of The Lumina journal. According to results of this survey summed up in the brochure of Get Nigeria Rading again 2006 by The Rainbow Club in Port Harcourt, the No of literate Nigerians who read is 59%. The percentage of those who read soft-news publications is 22%; those who read for utilitarian purposes, 22% and those who read newspapers for information, 13%. Those who read for leisure, 2% and those who do not read due to low buying power, 41%. The survey showed that the true reason the literate population does not read is not so much 'low buying power' but 'misprioritisation.' These same people spend money on looking good or fancy telephones sets.
We need to commend people like the founder of the Rainbow Book Club, Koko Kalango, who in her little way, is try to get Nigerians to read.
For those who love to help support her efforts - and she sure needs all the support she can get, you may reach her through her Rainbow Bookshop, at 20 Igbodo Street, old GRA, Port Harcourt. Tel 084 579966, 0802 3187 731, 0803 5508 579. Or send a mail to info@rainbowbookshop.com. Am looking at the brochure as I write. I am looking at A dozen ways to JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Adopt our reading campaign as your organisations's social responsibility
Pick up the bill for the 2007 'Get Nigeria Reading again! campaign
Make a donation in cash or kind towards our work
Pay the 'price' put on a table at the Garden City Literary Evening (GCLE) and get a table for 10 branded to your organisation
Build up our library as a friend of Rainbow Book Club by making a donation of N12,000 or multiples of N12,000. (This sum represents the cost of a book a month for a year.)
Donate new or used books to our library
Build us a website
Stop by and volunteet your services
Set up a reading group
Give a good idea.
Read!

Mrs. Koko Kalango has been great and I commended her in the credits of my book The Language of True Love . She and her well bred husband were at the public presentation in the Nigeria LNG RA where they stay. She also distributes my book.

Lovebayus,
Please, before anyone accuses me of self-praise, I can only use my example since I know where the shoe is pinching me and talking about my projects online is not singing my praise or blowing my trumpet.

The Language of True Love is simply a collection of love quotes, romantic practices for couples and the importance of pure and true love and not pornographic love.
My pastor recommended it for married couples.

The cover is shown below and that is the commercial branding to attract the readers and it is working and every St.Valentine's Day the book will be released again so it will continue to sell until Rapture. Because, I won't be around after Rapture. Jesus Christ will not leave me behind.

I have some unusual methods of drawing people closer to God and it is working.

I can write about sex and lure you to my books and conversations, but these will end up with confessions of our sins and weaknesses and repentance and accepting salvation by grace.

My new book Scarlet Tears of London is awesome!
God perfected my genius in it. It is in English and Spanish.
It is a complete book on love, sex, lesbianism, homosexuality, politics, devotion, terrorism, evangelism as a fanatic Christian lured a Muslim away after her brother died as a suicide bomber, Satan in the Vatican on the dangers of evils attacking the Roman Catholic church from within, the attacks on Israel, Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, London 7/7 and other global polical crises, satirical commentaries and puns, appreciations and commendations of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Folashade Adu, keziah Jones, and my hymns in praise of God.

You can see inside the book here http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN184728051X&id=KsuWOUc1z4YC&pg=PP8&lpg=PP8&dq=Scarlet+Tears+of+London&sig=gcaUmMpwu9ZsA8yhoVGxlN--1Js

I read, ALOT

how the hell should i know whether nigerians read or not?

i don't like answering questions like this anymore since i learnt about researching recently. even forrester research or gallup poll cannot answer the question accurately

i know i read and i recently decided to step up my reading to 3hrs daily.
they say readers are leaders - i'm not 100% sure about that but i know that reading develops my mind and even stretches it.

a beautiful physique, a beautiful mind and a beautiful spirit is my resolution for the remainder of the year , and a beautiful portfolio and libido too.

segedoo:

how the hell should i know whether nigerians read or not?

i don't like answering questions like this anymore since i learnt about researching recently. even forrester research or gallup poll cannot answer the question accurately

i know i read and i recently decided to step up my reading to 3hrs daily.
they say readers are leaders - i'm not 100% sure about that but i know that reading develops my mind and even stretches it.

a beautiful physique, a beautiful mind and a beautiful spirit is my resolution for the remainder of the year , and a beautiful portfolio and libido too.

Segedoo,
You are my ideal man.

Boy,I am interested in this,If we want to take a statistics of Nigerians that read and those that do not read,Broda,the later wins the vote in many ways in all perspective.

One,take a statistics of graduates who are able to have the 2nd degree after school. (case study of 10yrs ago)
two, Many Nigerians read to achieve an immediate cause. e.g interview, examination,no self development,researches.
three,How many nigerians have you seen building library in their houses. Try young graduates of this days,either their are watching movies or soap operas or playing jams. except nairalanders sha
Bros,many more.

Try some other things,if not you will end up building a library at home.

How many fellow members of Nairaland have read my books since I released them in January and July?
None.
Except for those who received the complimentary copies.

So so lip service.
Excuse me please.

Most young Nigerians read these days. The problem is: MOST NIGERIAN BOOKS ARE EITHER CRAP OR PUBLISHED BADLY.

But when they aren't, they end up like "Purple Hibiscus"

How did Purple Hibiscus end up?

All good writers in Nigeria should consider writing for movies, instead
of complaining that Nigerians are watching movies instead of reading.
If they won't read your book, you can just convert it into a movie!
If more good writers become screenwriters, Nollywood movies will improve.
You get your money and Nigerians get their movies, and everyone wins!

Seun:

How did Purple Hibiscus end up?

All good writers in Nigeria should consider writing for movies, instead
of complaining that Nigerians are watching movies instead of reading.
If they won't read your book, you can just convert it into a movie!
If more good writers become screenwriters, Nollywood movies will improve.
You get your money and Nigerians get their movies, and everyone wins!

Allright Seun,
There many ways of communication.

Most Nigerians writers cannot afford to convert their stories into movies and they are afraid of the rigours of film production. And most of the movie makers in Nigeria don't want to pay well for good screenplays. They prefer to rehash the already used scripts and change the names of the characters and the locations of the scenes and twist the plot a bit and print new cover jackets and posters and scream about them on TV commercials.

"Yeaaaahhhhhhh! Come and see ohhhhhhh!
Wetin RMD and Genevie Nnaji dey hallah so for for Love In Pieces ooohhhhhh!
Oya Mama bomboy and Papa bomboy, go grab your own copy kia kia before dem rush am finish for 2007 Nnamdi Azikiwe Street for Idumota, Lagos and 990 Eweka Street, Onitsha!
Me I no wan miss this new Nollywood love epic ohhhh!"

The gullible semi-literates among the millions of Nigerians will rush to rent or buy the fake B-movie and the rest is history.

[size=16pt]Nigerians read [/size]

How did Purple Hibiscus end up?

Purple Hibiscus did very well

Do Nigerians read [i]biographies[i]?

adeoba:

Do Nigerians read [i]biographies[i]?

A biography on IBB will be a bestseller in Nigeria.
A biography on Mike Adenuga will sell very well.
A biography on Kanu Nwankwo will be a bestseller in Africa.
A biography on Chinua Achebe will be a bestseller.

Orikinla,
Do note that all I was trying to say was that Nigerians are in deer need of critical authors who can rouse their intellectual capasity and channel it for more productive endeavours. Your titles are more of emotional stimulant than critical problem solving texts. Pls, try and author books that will address the decadence in the society for instance and see the impact you will makee through it. you might say that people will not read it, but the few who avail themselves of it will surely benefit greatly.

seun, how many publishers do we have in Nigeria?

Any Nairalander want to volunteer to write such biographies?

No we dont read, we stare , then try to reason

If the question is "do Nigerians read?"
Then the answer is yes.

But the issues raised are:

1. What do we read?
No need to travel far to take a poll. Just visit any secondary school and count the number of Hints or Mills & Boom(all the different series) you'll find in their book bags, and the different shades of porn underneath the boys' lockers and in their back pockets.
Some in primary schools have even made progress. They are reading too, in any case they can narrate with alerting accuracy, major shows that Edris (jagajaga) and Tuface have performed all the world, the terminology and expressions used in various rap music, despite their intricacies the different clubs that each Nigerian football player -home and abroad- play for, and their current salaries and assets scattered all over the globe. All the resulting information gleaned from the various music books and sports pages sold at newspaper stands just across their school gates.
Some youth who read the dailies are only interested in "Captain Afrika" and "Mr&Mrs"( I dont miss the later )
Yes, Nigerians do read.


2. What do we do with what we read?
Motivational books have found a niche in the Nigerian markets. Thanks to ardent buyers.(not the readers oh )
Think and grow rich, Seven habits of highly successsful people, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Green, Ben Carson amongst others have become household names. But the cosequential effect of these dynamic and "fiery" writers on the Nigerian mind is not far reaching. However, I agree that several persons have shown themselves to be cut from a different mould, a peep into nairaland will convince, if not impress you. But even here the figures are biased too, check the statistics for the career, education and fiction pages against the romance and entertainment pages. It proves true the aphorism, "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks"
Yes, Nigerians do read

3. Why we read?

One couldn't agree less.

bucknor33:

Many Nigerians read to achieve an immediate cause. e.g interview, examination,no self development,researches.

How many Lecturers encouraged us to buy text books or make use of the school library? How many teachers willingly gave out the names and authors of text books they used, so we could study for ourselves? How many, sold their books and poorly photocopied papers called "handouts"? How many, had well researched books in the market and how easy was it to buy such? How many, actually reviewed the student projects they supervised?
How many Nigerians prepare for the JAMB they sit for yearly? How many of them view it as an "end to a means"? How many elderly men and women or "shuttlers" do we have in our universities? How many of such actually read their notes, if the question is do nigerians read?
Yes, Nigerians do read

My brother told me that while recieving their call up letters for NYSC, some persons didn't know the part of Nigeria where certain states are found, they had to check maps. Trust Nigerians, some sharp guys were selling Nigerian maps in front of the admin building too!
He was posted to Maiduguri, _{and don't ask me if he also bought a map}

Do Nigerians read? Aye, Aye, _{if you have read this epistle, then we sure do}

What do Nigerians read and do Nigerians read are 2 different questions? Of course Nigerians read and what we read is our business really. I consider myself to be an average Nigerian and I read an average of 4 books per week. I read anything and everything from Romance to bible to motivational books to bestsellers to business book. Anything goes

XANGLE:

No we don't read, we stare , then try to reason

GOOD LAWD! You guys! lmao