24/07/2026
Aba Book Club: Reflections from the Non-Profit Breakfast Dialogue in Aba
A few days ago, I moderated pane discussion at the Non-Profit Breakfast Dialogue in Aba, organized by CEDEP, USA. Beyond the conversations on philanthropy, sustainability, and community development, one message stayed with me long after the event ended, the need to intentionally rebuild a culture of reading, critical thinking, and intellectual engagement in our society.
One of the panelists, Osondu Mbonu co-founder of the Aba Book Club, shared perspectives that resonated deeply with me. Around the same time, I listened to Sophie Winkleman speak on the future of education.
Her words were simple but profound: "Cognitive skills are declining. Attention spans are declining. Executive functioning skills are declining." It made me reflect on the relationship between technology, education, and the future of our children.
Technology is not the problem. It is one of the greatest tools humanity has created. The challenge lies in how we use it. We have gradually replaced deep reading with endless scrolling and thoughtful learning with instant consumption.
Many children are introduced to tablets and screens before they have developed a love for books, sustained attention, or critical thinking. As a result, we risk raising a generation that is digitally connected but intellectually disconnected.
Books do something technology often cannot. They cultivate patience, imagination, concentration, and independent thought. A library is more than a building filled with books; it is a repository of civilization, culture, and preserved knowledge. Unlike digital information that can be edited, removed, or manipulated with the click of a button, physical books preserve ideas in their original form for future generations.
This is why the work of the Aba Book Club deserves recognition. Under the leadership of people like Osondu Mbaonu, the initiative is doing more than encouraging people to read. It is rebuilding an intellectual culture, creating spaces for meaningful conversations, and demonstrating that technology and education can complement each other without one replacing the other.
Kudos to 'Kemakolam Onyenaucheya. PhD. for bringing the presence of CEDEP into the state. By convening changemakers, encouraging collaboration, and creating platforms where ideas translate into action, CEDEP USA is helping to shape a stronger, more effective civil society that can drive sustainable development across the state.
The future may be digital, but the minds that will shape that future must first be built on the timeless foundations of reading, reflection, and knowledge.
Initiatives like the Aba Book Club remind us that every great society begins with people who read, think, and imagine.
Culled from Prince Amaechi.
ED - Rindath Consulting
