Benin-based lawyer and writer, Douglas Ogbankwa Esq., has called for a renewed reading culture among young Nigerians, saying literature and books played a significant role in shaping his life, character and career.
Ogbankwa made the call in a literary reflection titled “Literature Works That Shaped Our Lives,” where he recounted his early exposure to books, newspapers, poetry and African literature.
Quoting Francis Bacon, he noted that reading, writing and speaking are essential to intellectual and personal development.
Ogbankwa recalled beginning his reading journey as a young boy with books such as Queen Premier and Common Errors in English by Jowitt and Nnamonu, which he said helped shape his command of the English language.
He also recalled inheriting his mother’s dictionary and having access to numerous books because she was a teacher.
According to him, his father’s habit of buying newspapers also introduced him to journalism and current affairs at an early age.
He recalled buying his first newspaper, Champion Newspaper, while in Primary Six at Arinze Primary School, Benin City, noting that he has since progressed to seeing his own writings published in national newspapers.
Ogbankwa said literary works such as Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb introduced him to the works of William Shakespeare, including King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew.
He also highlighted the influence of African literature on his intellectual development, mentioning works such as My Father’s Car by S.M.O. Aka, as well as books from the African Writers Series, including The Passport of Mallam Ilia, Efuru and The River Between.
He said reading Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart while in JSS 2 exposed him to the richness of Igbo culture and proverbs, while other works by Achebe, including Arrow of God, Girls at War and There Was a Country, further broadened his understanding of society, history and leadership.
The lawyer also reflected on the works of Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, including Death and the King’s Horseman, Kongi’s Harvest, The Man Died and The Trials of Brother Jero.
He cited Soyinka’s poem Abiku and also referenced the works of Professor J.P. Clark, including Abiku, The Casualties, The Nigerian Railways and Ibadan.
Ogbankwa further highlighted the satirical works of Professor Niyi Osundare, particularly his collection Songs of the Earth, noting its commentary on environmental degradation and societal challenges.
He also recalled African poetry from different regions of the continent, explaining that writers often explored themes arising from their unique historical experiences, including colonialism, racism, cultural identity and the challenges of independence.
Beyond African literature, Ogbankwa listed several foreign literary classics that influenced his reading journey, including George Orwell’s Animal Farm, William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and Arms and the Man, Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities, as well as Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge.
He also mentioned poems such as Robert Frost’s Two Look at Two, John Donne’s Death Be Not Proud, Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess and William Wordsworth’s The World Is Too Much with Us and The Solitary Reaper.
Reflecting on the influence of literature on his communication skills, Ogbankwa said people who speak and write effectively often develop those abilities through years of reading.
He expressed concern over what he described as the declining reading culture among young Nigerians, arguing that many young people now spend more time on entertainment, social media and television than on books.
According to him, a generation that does not read cannot effectively lead, warning that Nigerians risk allowing others to tell their story if they fail to develop the intellectual capacity to document and communicate their own experiences.
Ogbankwa also criticised what he described as inadequate government efforts to promote reading culture, calling for programmes and initiatives that would encourage young people to return to books and literature.
He expressed appreciation to his former English and Literature teacher, Pastor Michael Omoregbee, popularly known as Uncle Mike, of Standard Lectures and Standard Schools, Benin City, whom he credited with rekindling his passion for literature.
Ogbankwa said his renewed interest in literature eventually contributed to his founding of the Benin Writers’ Society, which he described as an organisation dedicated to promoting writing and literary culture.
He concluded by urging Nigerians, particularly young people, to rediscover the culture of reading, stressing that literature remains an important tool for intellectual development, leadership and preserving society’s history.
About the Writer
Douglas Ogbankwa Esq. is a Benin based lawyer, the immediate past Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Benin Branch, popularly known as the Lion Bar, and the recently appointed Coordinator of the African Bar Association (AfBA) Law Students’ Internship Programme.
