Seadogs sets up reading club for Bayelsa secondary school

The National Association of Seadogs, also known as the Pyrates Confraternity, Oxbow Marino Deck, has launched a reading club at Comprehensive Community Secondary School, Yenizue-Gene/Biogbolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The initiative, organised as part of activities marking the 2026 International Literacy Day, also featured the donation of textbooks, novels, reading materials and school bags to the students.

Speaking at the programme on Tuesday, the Capoon of Oxbow Marino Deck, Arc. Timiebi Binafeigha, said the initiative was aimed at encouraging students to develop a lasting interest in reading beyond their prescribed textbooks.

Binafeigha, who described NAS as a United Nations-accredited organisation, said literacy had evolved beyond the ability to read and write, with young people needing broader knowledge and skills to navigate the changing world.

“If we train the students to read today, they will do well in the future. Literacy, as we know it, is not only about reading and writing. It has gone beyond that to include sustainability of the planet, information and communication technology and other areas of knowledge,” he said.

He said the reading club was established to make reading a regular activity among the students and encourage them to explore books outside their school textbooks.

Binafeigha added, “If you pick that interest in reading and have a reading culture, it will help you to read your normal Physics, Chemistry and Biology textbooks.”

He urged governments, communities, individuals and corporate organisations to support efforts to improve literacy and revive the reading culture among young Nigerians.

“We are here to encourage these young ones that education is key. That is why we are here today,” he stated.

The school principal, Court Ogbuseri, represented by the Senior Tutor, Grace Obiyai, commended NAS for the initiative, saying its engagement with the students provided lessons beyond conventional classroom teaching.

Obiyai urged the students to apply what they learnt from the programme to their academic and personal development.

The Senior Prefect of the school and newly inaugurated President of the Reading Club, Celine Tulagha, said the initiative would contribute to the students’ academic development.

She said, “I feel honoured and privileged. I believe this club will help us in our academic pursuit, and we are grateful to NAS for this gesture and opportunity. We promise to make the best of it.”

The programme also featured a book-reading session, interactive discussions with the students, a quiz and the presentation of school bags, textbooks and other reading materials to the students and the newly established reading club.