A secondary school teacher in Akwa Ibom State, John Obot says he is ready to break the Guinness World Records (GWR) by reading for 145 hours to beat the current record holder, Rysbai Isakov from Turkey who read for 124 hours in 2023.
His decision is coming on the heels of fellow Akwa Ibomite, Hilda Baci’s setting the new record of the longest cooking hours by an individual in the world.
In an exclusive interview with Kristina Reports in Uyo, John Obot, who hails from Abiakpo Ikot Essien Community in Ikot Ekpene LGA in Akwa Ibom State, said he was motivated by Hilda Baci’s cook-a-thon and the need to leverage the opportunity to instill reading culture among youths.
He explained that as a teacher and researcher, he has discovered that the reading culture of students at every level of education in the country has witnessed a drastic decline over the years, expressing the belief that his attempt at breaking GWR will reignite the love for reading in society.
“I am a licensed teacher by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) and so I have worked deeply within the educational sphere. I have noticed a fast declining reading culture especially among young people in Nigeria.”
“In the University, you will find that students don’t read for leisure or enlightenment, they only read when they are obliged to, maybe tests or exams.
“In May, when Hilda Baci broke the record of the longest time cooking by an individual, a lot of Nigerians jumped on the trend and tried to break one record or the other. I saw it as an opportunity to redirect that trend and attention to something I am passionate about which is reading.
“Also, I am motivated by the desire to encourage authors to write. You see, due to the fast decline in reading culture, there is lack of motivation to write. Since people don’t buy books, engage with the written words, drop reviews online or offer any form of encouragement to authors, people are discouraged from writing. I have decided to use this platform to encourage Nigerian authors.”
According to Obot, out of the 41 books selected for the exercise, about 30 of them are written by African authors such as Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, Ita Mbaba, Elechi Amadi, Buchi Emecheta, while other books are written by foreign authors such as Charles Dickens, George Orwell, Daniel Defoe, and others.
Obot who is in high spirit, expressed his enthusiasm towards the project, stating that he is not only looking forward to breaking the record but also calling the attention of government to provide functional libraries for citizens to have access to books.
Meanwhile, the longest-reading marathon by John Obot will begin from 9-15 September 2023 at City View Hall, Watbridge Hotels & Suites, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
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