Faith Nwani Wants Every Child to Have Access to Books Through Book Driva Africa

Reading shapes far more than literacy; it shapes comprehension, empathy, communication and the way children come to understand the world around them. Giving a child a book creates a ripple effect that lasts throughout their lives by showing the many worlds that exist outside their immediate environments.

My name is Faith Nwani, and I’m the founder of Book Drive Africa. My journey with books began long before the initiative itself. I grew up in Ajegunle, Ikorodu, and I found both comfort and safety in books. I spent hours reading, attempting to pronounce unfamiliar words and regularly turning to the dictionary to understand meanings I did not know. Over time, that habit strengthened my vocabulary, so much so that I was often asked to read the Bible during family devotions as a way of practising my reading aloud. For me, books were never just a pastime; they were a source of possibility.

It was from that lived experience that I founded Book Drive Africa during my final year as a law student at Obafemi Awolowo University. The first edition was held in Ile-Ife, where we distributed over 800 books and stationery items to more than 300 children across schools and an orphanage. Seeing those children hold books confirmed everything I had hoped this initiative could be. It was such a fulfilling experience.

This June, I am bringing Book Drive Africa 2.0 to Lagos, Ibadan, Ile-Ife, and Abuja, in partnership with The Book Haven Foundation, founded by Shalom Shaba, with whom I initially connected on LinkedIn over shared interests in literature and have since become fast friends. 

This edition will take the form of reading corners established in schools and stocked with original copies of African literature, either purchased or donated, alongside stationery and snacks (because children need to eat to focus). Beyond improving access to books, we are also deliberately taking a stand against piracy, a longstanding issue in Nigeria’s creative industry, by encouraging the circulation and use of original literary works.

This year’s edition will also feature creative writing classes to help children explore their creativity and recognise the opportunities that can come from it. We will also hold introductory sessions on technology and artificial intelligence, because the world these children are growing into is an increasingly digital one, and I want them to be prepared for it.

One of the things I am most proud of is something that might seem small but means everything to me: the affirmation cards we give each child. This edition will have a framed affirmation hanging over the reading corner. I want every child we reach to know that they are seen, valued and intentionally considered in every effort we make to get to them. Book Drive Africa is not just about putting books in hands. It is about reminding children that they matter.

I continue to welcome partnerships and sponsorships that support this mission of giving the gift of reading to children across Africa. If you would like to be part of this, please reach out via email: bookdrivea@gmail.com. As the motto says, “Give a child a book, show them the world.”

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