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Yinka Olatunbosun

The drive to revolutionise children’s literature in Nigeria has received a major boost with the official unveiling of the Nigeria Picture Book Project, an ambitious plan to produce 100 high-quality children’s books by 2027.

The initiative, launched recently at The Ouida Place, Ikeja Ogba, Lagos, is a collaboration between the Book Buzz Foundation and the European Union, under the ongoing Book Storm Project, which began in 2023.

Described as a first-of-its-kind creative and capacity-building programme, the project aims to promote authentic Nigerian storytelling that reflects the nation’s diverse cultures, languages, and values. It also seeks to empower young writers and illustrators, helping them create picture books that children can easily relate to.

Speaking at the event the Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot who came with delegates from member states, said the initiative would help professionalise the children’s book industry in Nigeria.

“The project will train Nigerian children’s book illustrators with the support of experts from different parts of the world,” Mignot explained. “There is no better way to love reading than starting with books rooted in a familiar setting. These books will help children build confidence and curiosity while promoting positive values.”

He added that the European Union’s involvement in creative partnerships across Africa also supports policy development, festivals, and artists, with a focus on building sustainable creative economies.

Lola Shoneyin, Founder of the Book Buzz Foundation, reaffirmed her organisation’s commitment to producing 100 quality picture books by 2027.

“So far, we’ve published 11 books, and several more are in the pipeline,” she said. “We are working with young Nigerians between the ages of 21 and 30, training writers and illustrators from all six geopolitical zones. All classes will be held virtually to ensure nationwide participation.”

According to Shoneyin, six illustrators and six writers will be selected from each region, forming creative duos that will work together to produce culturally relevant stories for children.

She added that the project builds on the success of past literary initiatives such as the Ake Arts and Book Festival, the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival, the Sharjah Festival of African Literature, and the Lagos International Festival of Illustration (LIFI).

“Representation matters deeply,” she said. “Our children deserve to see faces like theirs, names they recognise, and worlds that reflect their realities. When a child reads a story that mirrors where they belong, they learn to dream without permission and that is how nations grow storytellers and leaders.”

The launch also celebrated Nigerian illustrators Kayode Onimole and Chiamaka Chukwu, who were recognised by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair for excellence in illustration and storytelling.

Other notable guests at the unveiling included Mazzi Odu, author of “Get Rid of Your Phone, Mummy,” and Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie, author of “Ugo and Sim Sim,” “I Don’t Like the Birthday Song,” and “Simsim Goes to the Salon,” whose works promote inclusion and autism awareness through storytelling