Haruna Iddrisu Calls for Major Investment in Libraries to Revive Ghana’s Reading Culture

The Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has underscored the urgent need for Ghana to rebuild its reading culture through deliberate, nationwide investment in libraries at all levels of education.

Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, he lamented the steady decline in reading habits across the country, an issue he said is contributing to weaker learning outcomes and lower civic engagement.

“The reading culture in Ghana needs to improve,” he said, noting that in many countries, reading remains an integral part of daily life.
“When you travel abroad…you will see almost everybody holding a newspaper. We generally have to look at the reading culture of Ghana.”

The Minister revealed that concerns over poor or inadequate library facilities had been raised repeatedly during his regional working tours. Traditional leaders and educators in Bono, Ahafo, and Eastern Regions all cited deteriorating or insufficient libraries as obstacles to effective teaching and learning.

To confront the challenge, Mr Iddrisu announced that the Ministry of Education will soon lay a motion before Parliament to broaden access to library facilities for all schools.

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He also hinted at plans to explore digital libraries as part of a modernised reading and research ecosystem.

“We need to invest more in libraries. If we have the resources, we should be thinking about getting a digital library across our educational levels.”