It was a moment of exceptional learning experience as writers, librarians, booksellers, educators, and policy thinkers converged on the national theatre in Iganmu Lagos last month for the press conference and preview of the anthology Living Sustainably Here: African Perspectives on the SDGs.
Organized by Mrs. Olatoun Gabi-Williams, editor of Selina Publications, the event, which was part of the celebration of the 25th edition of the Nigeria International Book Fair, was held at the Cinema 2 hall of the Wole Soyinka Centre Creative Arts (National Theatre), and witnessed a large attendance.
The programme witnessed a panel session, where panelists spoke on topics such as ‘ The Role of International Schools in Advancing the SDGs’, ‘ The Role of 21st Century Booksellers in Realising SDGs 4- Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education’, ‘ Access to Knowledge for Sustainable Development; and ‘Leveraging the the UN’s OER and Open Science Recommendations’, among others.
In her opening remark, Gabi-Williams, who is the author of Living Sustainably Here: African Perspectives on the SDGs, highlighted the lack of intimate theory, teachings, and skill programs.
According to her, the initiative, which explores sustainability from cultural, social and developmental perspectives, is rooted in the belief that knowledge remains the foundation of human development.
“We need to speak with much louder voices into global conversations,” she told journalists. “I want to talk more into global affairs from a local perspective, an Africa looking at global affairs and making commentary about local affairs and making it available to the wider world.”
She advocated interdisciplinary learning in schools, arguing that students should be equipped to solve real-world problems rather than being confined to isolated academic disciplines.
“We need more interdisciplinary teaching activity where students solve real-world problems and understand the world they are living in, not just books,” she added.
Mrs. Gibs-Williams, however, called for a thorough involvement of children in areas of science, technology, arts, and mathematics that will get the children thinking.
The major highlight of the event was the unveiling of the Living Sustainably Here: African Perspectives on the SDGs website that was loudly appreciated by those in attendance.
Conceived and curated by Nigerian journalist and literary activist, Mrs Olatoun Gabi-Williams, the series set out to do something that development literature has rarely managed: make the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals legible, personal, and genuinely readable to the people whose lives they are meant to describe.
She has described the anthology as bringing sustainability into everyday African life. What she has not said — but what the project makes plain — is that she has spent the better part of her adult life doing exactly that, one initiative at a time.
