The Akada Children’s Book Festival (ACBF), renowned as Nigeria’s first and largest book festival specifically designed for children, returns for its fourth edition scheduled to take place October 29, 2022, at the Upbeat Recreation Centre, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Already, there is excitement in the air because the festival will be held physically for the first time since the 2019 event. Registration is now open at https://tickets.akadafestival.org
An initiative of acclaimed publisher & children’s author c, ACBF targets children aged 13 and below, parents, teachers and guardians, as well as those who create child-appropriate content. The one-day festival is poised to attract 3000 attendees with various fun activities.
Themed “Together Again”, the 2022 festival will feature relevant activities such as book readings, workshops for writers and illustrators, author showcases, interactive and engaging workshops for children, soft skills masterclasses for teachers and parents and much more.
Announcing the 2022 festival theme, Talabi explained that “due to the pandemic, this is the first time in over two years that we have the festival in person. So we want the theme to capture the joy of community and celebrate our shared love of reading and empowering children and their families,” she said.
According to her, when children embrace the love of books and enjoy reading at a young age, it affords them the skills necessary for an accomplished life with endless possibilities.
She added that the organisers have taken deliberate steps to ensure that “this year’s festival encourages active participation, story time and bonding sessions for families, as well as a boost in children’s cognitive development”.
There will also be book chats & signings, Pop-Up Library, Fun Exhibitions, Arts & Crafts, Music & Dance, Writing & Illustration Competition Winner Announcements, Scavenger Hunt, a sip & paint session, and discounted activities from festival partner, UpBeat Center.
In addition to the plethora of children’s authors to be featured during this year’s festival, there are workshop facilitators from a wide variety of fields including publishing, public speaking, entertainment, digital media, parenting and education. They include founder of Chess In Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya; founder of FabMumNg, Jayne Augoye; renowned writer & co-founder of Narrative Landscape Press, Dr. Eghosa Imasuen; emotional intelligence expert Enahoro Okhae; reality TV star and lifestyle influencer, Neo Akpofure; and life coach & behavioural change specialist, Dr. Lanre Olusola; among others.
Since its inception, the Akada Children’s Book Festival has provided a fantastic pool of talent and resources, connecting families and schools with indigenous and international authors, illustrators and storytellers, which have coalesced around the festival’s mission of inspiring the joy of reading at an early age.
“The Akada Children’s Book Festival has grown to become a melting point for all things children’s education and family entertainment,” said ACBF Festival Director Omawumi Ogbe.
“Like previous years, the 2022 event has a lineup of insightful sessions featuring some of today’s most sought-after authors and speakers and will especially address some of the most relevant topics in our fast-changing world”. In addition, she revealed that the ACBF would announce new exciting partnerships and initiatives for the general public to participate in.
To read more and register for the 2022 Akada Children’s Book Festival, visit https://akadafestival.org and follow @akadafestival on social media for updates.
