Mr. Labaran Maku, the Minister of State for Information and Communications, has urged Nigerians to develop the habit of reading indigenous literature to promote cultural values and norms.

Maku gave the advice in Abuja at the launch of a literature Anthology journal entitled “Dugwe’’ written by the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF) he said.

“The greatest gift of mankind and the source of all wealth is reading; let us be committed to learning and productivity, and by doing this we will lead the country to the next level.

“It is time for this generation to take up the challenge of contributing to national development,” he said.
Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, the Chairman of the occasion, said the youth should show more interest in reading books to enrich their knowledge, adding that books, which contained great ideas and wisdom, were good companions.

“We need to create a favourable environment for the growth of a vibrant reading culture,” he said.
The President of AWF, Mr Emman Shehu, said one of the major hindrances to the development of literature was the dearth of publishing outlets.

“Publishing this anthology is a way of redressing the problem and ensuring that the nation’s literature is enriched with consistent qualitative output.

“The outcome of a sustainable development plan is to incorporate creative workshops and writing educational programme,” he said.

The News Agency reports that ‘’Dugwe’’ is the Gbayi word for royal forum, the place for new literary voices.