Dr. Bawumia taking a tour of the library
President Akufo-Addo and his governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) have set yet another record in the area of education by constructing more libraries that any other government.
This came to light when Vice President Bawumia commissioned the National Children and Mobile Library in Accra yesterday.
Vice President Bawumia who unveiled the library for public usage revealed that so far government has helped increase the number of public libraries from 61 in 2017 to 115 at the end of 2022, making a total of 54 libraries constructed since taking over the administration of the country.
In the area of technology, he noted that “we have provided internet connections to 29 public libraries and some 688 computers to support literacy initiatives at 67 public libraries across the country.
He also indicated that the government has invested in developing and rolling out the Digital Library App, currently managed by the Ghana Library Authority.
The App, which is zero-rated by some of the telecommunication companies, he said “allows every Ghanaian to have access to eBooks, videos, and audio resources.”
Furthermore, Dr. Bawumia revealed that the “government has increased the number of books on the shelves of public libraries from 393,430 in 2016 to 1,281,839 at the end of 2022, a 325 per cent increase whilst 48 out of the 61 libraries inherited in 2017 have received a facelift, creating a conducive environment for learners.
He, therefore, noted that government has strengthened the institution of the Ghana Library Authority to deliver on its mandate through various capacity-building initiatives, both local and international.
“The development of a new scheme of service for the Authority has defined a new and progressive career pathway for staff”, he noted, and that “the government, through GETFUND, has also provided 20 new pickup vehicles for the Authority’s operations, including revamping its mobile library services by fixing its vans to be motorable.”
It has also increased the personnel of the Library Authority to 532.
For Dr Bawumia, “the above investments demonstrate our commitment to improving literacy levels in the country and creating an enabling environment for every learner to thrive.”
He took the opportunity to commend the Board and Management of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for collaborating with the Ghana Library Authority to undertake the project.
“I take this opportunity to call on corporate institutions to emulate the example of SSNIT and to do more for the Ghanaian child”, he said, whilst noting with emphasis “it is my vision to see every district in Ghana benefit from a befitting public library infrastructure of this nature.”
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent