Bookville Integrated Resources, the creators of the Bookville World, have chosen 80 participants for the 2025 installment of their yearly Reading Contest.
The Chief Executive Officer, Nkem Asoka, revealed this during her speech at a pre-competition seminar conducted in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.
The most recent edition is the eighth iteration of the competition, featuring the theme ‘From Pages to Greatness’. She mentioned that the competition began in 2017, and noted, “So far we have welcomed more than 600 children.”
Asoka stated, “The main goal when we launched the competition was to encourage children to read once more. We believe in reaching them at a young age. At Bookville, we are enthusiastic about reading and about education.”
So this activity holds a special place in our hearts.
We aim to witness children expressing themselves effectively both verbally and in writing. When you read, you gain control over your thoughts. It empowers you with the assurance to question the existing order when necessary. “
She explained that the competition is not a spelling bee or an inter-school event. “It is an assessment of understanding, analytical thinking, and the use of knowledge. The emphasis is on the individual participant,” Asoka highlighted.
The CEO of Bookville added, “Growth is a key goal of the competition. In addition to the awards, it’s crucial for participants to be motivated to experience the process and for the process to impact them. Regardless of the competition’s results, we hope to witness that growth has occurred.”
Regarding the competition process, she mentioned that registration started on May 1st and ended on May 31st, but the actual competition kicks off with two preliminary rounds, the first scheduled for October 11th, and the second on October 18th, with the finals taking place on November 29th, 2025, at the Alliance Française in old GRA, Port Harcourt.
Regarding the preparations, Asoka mentioned, “This year we received approximately 100 applications but rejected some that did not meet the requirements; either they provided the incorrect type of documents or they were too old.”
The competition mandates that participants must be between the ages of 10 and 12 throughout the entire duration of the event. Following the initial selection, approximately 80 competitors remained to take part.
This session is one of the aspects that have been enhanced within the event. Last year, we discovered that participants struggled with vocabulary and applying their knowledge. This clearly stemmed from inadequate preparation.
Regarding the format, she mentioned that every contestant must participate in a qualifying round, and if they succeed, they move on to the final stage.
Asoka revealed that the chosen texts for the contest include a variety of genres; one autobiography, two works of literary fiction, and one play, adding, “All the texts are written by Nigerian authors. The aim is to support local and African writers.”
Illuminating the assessment standards, Asoka outlined clarity (in both thought and language), Comprehension (the skill to use acquired knowledge in daily situations), Confidence, Critical Thinking (which involves thinking creatively when needed), Diction (speaking in your authentic voice), Pronunciation, Punctuality, and Spelling.
Our reporter who attended the event states that two sessions on reading abilities and advice tailored for competitions were given by expert speakers.
Several books featured in the preview session are, ‘The Lies of the Aljungo’ by Moses OseUtomi, ‘Grandma’s Treasure’ by Dunmi Olatunde, and ‘Ake, The Years of Childhood’ by Wole Soyinka.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
