Academy Press and Ekenua & Co. Limited have unveiled the Million Classics Programme, a civic education initiative designed to strengthen critical thinking, moral reasoning and leadership skills among Nigerian secondary school students through the study of globally acclaimed literary classics.

The programme marks a new effort to encourage deeper engagement with literature while fostering independent thinking among young learners. Its first phase begins in Lagos, where students will receive copies of George Orwell’s Animal Farm as part of a structured learning experience.

Speaking at the launch, the Managing Director of Academy Press, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunnubi, highlighted the company’s longstanding contribution to educational publishing in Nigeria.

“The Million Classics Programme is an ambitious and important undertaking, and we are proud to be founding it in partnership with Ekenua & Co. Placing the world’s great classics into the hands of Nigerian secondary school students – beginning today in Lagos – is exactly the kind of work we believe our industry should be doing. We look forward to what this programme will mean for students across Nigeria as it grows,” she said.

Ogunnubi noted that Academy Press has printed books for Nigerian classrooms for more than 60 years, giving the company firsthand insight into the lasting impact a meaningful book can have on a young reader.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Ekenua & Co., Osamede Okhomina, said the initiative is intended to move students beyond reading by encouraging thoughtful analysis and independent reasoning.

“our students can read. What we owe them is the chance to think – carefully, critically, and for themselves. The programme is built on the belief that great books, paired with real engagement, are among the most effective tools we have for building a generation of Nigerian readers who become thinkers, and thinkers who become leaders. This launch cycle is the beginning of something we intend to grow across the country.”

The Local Programme Lead, Maxwell Marshall, acknowledged the support received from education authorities and participating schools in Lagos.

“we are grateful for the cooperation of the Lagos State Tutor-General’s office for Education District VI, and for the commitment of our partner schools, educators and supporters who share our belief that access to great books, paired with structured engagement, can broaden perspectives and shape lifelong learning.”

As part of the programme’s inaugural phase, the organisers will distribute the first 1,500 copies of George Orwell’s Animal Farm to students across three senior secondary schools in Ilupeju, Lagos.

The launch cycle is being implemented in collaboration with the office of the Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary of Lagos Education District VI, Mrs. Mojisola Christiana Yusuff. Her reading culture initiative serves as the programme’s operational partner in schools across the district.

Source: This Day