In a bid to preserve and promote Yoruba culture, the Yoruba World Congress, led by Emeritus Professor, Banji Akintoye, has unveiled plans for the YWC Global Library.
In unveiling the project, the YWC Secretary General, Prof. Anthony Kila, explained that the YWC Global Library will have two parts: Brick and Mortar Libraries in various parts of the world starting from Ibadan and Lagos, and the Digital Library that everyone anywhere in the world can access and at any time.
To manage the project, the YWC has put together a team of experts who are academics, IT practitioners, education managers and lovers of Yoruba culture.
The project will be led by a Steering Committee to be chaired Prof. Ajayi Soyinka, with Dr. Pat Akinbola (Secretary), Princess Olayinka Adebayo, Babafemi Odutayo, Dr. Sunkanmi Odejide and Luke Tikare.
In his address to the Steering Committee, Kila stated: “Our lofty aims include conserving and promoting Yoruba arts, language, history, cosmogony, literature, etc.
“This project will help put Yoruba people and culture on the world map and also put libraries in our people’s minds.”
Kila also noted that to make the YWC Global Library a success, all hands must be on deck, asking all Yoruba people come up with what they can offer the project.
He said: “We shall be need suggestion of list of books, Journals, Art Work, etc.
“Ideas on how to maintain the best Yoruba library in the world, donation of books (new and old), journals, art work and donation of funds.”
To participate and donate to the YWC Global Library Project, Kila urged all to visit the website: www.yorubaworldcongress.org.