Kunle Adelabu
-Calls for public support through visitations
Mr Olubayode Treasure Olawunmi, the holder of the Guinness World Record in the Longest Marathon Reading Aloud, will, on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, embark on yet another reading attempt aimed at setting another world record.
He will be joined in his quest by four other readers who will be reading with him for twenty days, starting from Wednesday, December 1 and Tuesday, December 21, 2021, at the Herbert Macaulay Library, 338, Herbert Macaulay Way, Sabo, Yaba.
The team is expected to read for 480 hours.
Other readers are Zainab Wakil Mustapha and Maryam Abba Sadu, both from Borno State, Doubra Yeri from Bayelsa State and Preciouslight Ukachi from Imo State.
The attempt is an official Guinness World Record quest in the Longest Marathon Read Aloud tagged, ‘Read2Build’.
Meanwhile, Bayode has requested for support from the members of the public through visitations during this reading attempt. Interested members of the public are to book their visitation reservation through Habib (08086815767) and Bayode (09018740034).
According to Bayode Treasures Olawunmi, the reading project, which was initiated by iRead Afrika, is an attempt to break a decade old record of 365 hours and 39 seconds set in the Dominican Republic in July, 2001.
“This quest is initiated by iRead Afrika Foundation geared towards raising donations to be used for the provision of library facilities across Nigeria, especially in the rural areas where basic amenities are lacking”, he said.
He advocated for the establishment of libraries in strategic locations within communities to encourage reading, adding that the reading attempt will also be used in raising funds to build libraries.
“A library is a social space that should be available and accessible to everyone without having to travel from one part of town to another. The organizers believe a library should be a walk distance away.
“The project is in an attempt to raise 500 million naira for the first phase of this project which is targeted towards building 20 functional libraries in the areas where they are much needed in the country”, Bayode added.
It would be recalled that Bayode read for 120 hours in 2018 to break the world record and is set to read for twenty days in an attempt to set another world record.
His latest attempt to set a new world reading record is ably supported by the Lagos State Government, Office of Special Adviser on Education, Lagos State (OSAE), IBILE Oil and Gas, LAASA, ATLAS Initiative, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) and Neighbours.
