Creative Arts Initiative and NYCN Forge Strategic Alliance to Launch Bookworm African Literary Championship.

By Raymond Enoch

The Creative Arts Initiative (CAI), originator of the Bookworm African Literary Championship, has entered into a strategic partnership with the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), through its Directorate of Education, Training and Scholarship, to drive the successful execution of the landmark literary project.

At a modest yet momentous ceremony held at CAI’s Abuja office, the partnership was formally sealed by Mrs. Akudo Nwokorie, President of CAI and Executive Producer of the project, and Ambassador Olalekan Abdulganiyu Abolarin, Director of Education, Training and Scholarship at NYCN’s National Secretariat.

The alliance marks a significant step toward advancing youth literacy, reviving a dwindling reading culture, and creating a continental platform to showcase the academic, creative, and cultural talents of African youth. It also reinforces the Bookworm Championship as a springboard for young authors to gain national and continental recognition. NYCN, through its extensive grassroots network, pledged to mobilize institutional support, sponsorship, and stakeholder engagement to ensure the success and sustainability of the project.

The Bookworm African Literary Championship is a groundbreaking literary competition designed to inspire academic excellence and celebrate the intellectual and creative potential of African students. The competition will be aired as a 13-episode televised educational series, featuring top secondary schools from all 36 states of Nigeria. Each school will be selected through rigorous local-level contests, with the winners advancing to represent their states at the national championship. The grand finale will bring together state champions in a high-profile celebration of knowledge, culture, science, and history. More than just a contest, the Bookworm is positioned as a developmental platform—fostering regional integration, cultural pride, youth empowerment, and the emergence of young literary talents.

The initiative has secured endorsements and approvals from several prominent institutions and bodies, including NATCOM–UNESCO, ECOWAS, the Non-Governmental Association for Literacy Support Services (NOGALSS), the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Budget & National Planning, the FCT Secondary Education Board, the FCT Department of Art and Culture under the Social Development Secretariat, Durham University in the United Kingdom, and the Chioma Acholonu Foundation.

Designed not only as a competition but also as a family-friendly educational television programme, the Bookworm project aims to restore the reading culture among African youths, promote literary creativity, offer scholarship opportunities, and equip a new generation of leaders with the tools to shape the continent’s future. The programme will be broadcast on both international and local television platforms.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs. Nwokorie expressed optimism that the partnership with NYCN would amplify the impact of the project, describing it as a vision to shape futures, give hope, and rewrite the African story through the brilliance of young minds. Ambassador Abolarin, on his part, reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to mobilizing the necessary support to make the initiative a legacy for Nigeria and the continent at large.

With strong institutional backing and a bold vision, the Bookworm African Literary Championship is poised to become a flagship programme that will educate, inspire, and unite Africa’s future leaders, while promoting and celebrating the literary works of young authors.