Peace House Bookclub: Cultivating Minds, Building Relationships and Restoring Ekiti’s Fountain of Knowledge

 

By O’Seun Ogunsakin

 

There is something special about a room full of people talking about books. Beyond the pages, the discussions often become conversations about life, leadership, relationships, family, society and the kind of future people want to build.

That is the idea behind the Peace House Bookclub, an initiative started by Mrs Olapeju Babafemi, former Head of Service of Ekiti State and now Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development. Since its first edition in 2020, the Bookclub has quietly grown into a gathering where people come together not just to read books, but to share ideas, challenge assumptions and learn from one another. The initiative has also enjoyed the full support of her husband, Pastor Ola Babafemi, who provides the home and serves as host of the Bookclub. Together, they have created a space where academics, government officials, professionals and other lovers of books can sit together, exchange ideas and rediscover the pleasure of learning.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Peace House Bookclub is that it did not begin with an elaborate grand plan. It began with a simple conviction that people should read and talk about what they read. Six editions later, that simple idea has become a growing intellectual community.

The first edition, held in 2020, centred on Stan Toler’s Minute Motivators for Leaders. The book was reviewed by Akin Rotimi, who at the time was Senior Special Assistant to Governor Kayode Fayemi on Strategic Communication and who is today a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives. It was a fitting book with which to begin. Leadership is not only about occupying positions; it is about character, responsibility, decision-making and the ability to influence others positively. The discussion around the book set the tone for what the Peace House Bookclub would become.

The second edition took a different direction, focusing on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dear Ijeawele, a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. The book opened up conversations about feminism, gender, parenting, identity and the expectations society places on men and women. The third edition examined Akin Oluwadare Jnr’s The Winning Strategies, bringing discussions around success, personal development and the strategies people can adopt in navigating life. Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi’s Where Is Your Wrapper? was the focus of the fourth edition, while the fifth edition turned to Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life.

The variety of the books selected is itself revealing. The Bookclub has never been about one particular school of thought. It has deliberately opened its participants to different ideas and perspectives, allowing each book to become a starting point for wider conversations.

The sixth edition, held a few days ago, was another demonstration of how far the initiative has come. It attracted a good number of book lovers from the academia, government and other sectors of society. This time, the conversation centred on Gbenga Emiloju’s Cultivating Strategic Relationships. The choice of the book could hardly have been more timely. In a world where success is increasingly connected to collaboration, networking and meaningful relationships, understanding how to build and sustain strategic connections is important.

The book was co-reviewed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Professor William Oluwole Adebayo, and Hon. Fola Richie Adewusi, a former Commissioner for Women Affairs in Ekiti State. Their contributions brought together academic knowledge and practical experience, making the discussion even more engaging.

Among those who spoke at the event was the Wife of the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji. She encouraged young people to return to the habit of reading and to take the development of strategic relationships seriously. Her message about relationships was particularly striking. She described relationships as bridges that should be built before they are needed. It is a simple but important lesson. Too often, people remember the importance of relationships only when they need help. Building genuine relationships, however, takes time, trust and mutual respect.

The Secretary to the Ekiti State Government, Professor Habibat Adubiaro, also spoke passionately about reading and its contribution to intellectual growth. Her desire to become a member of the Bookclub was perhaps another indication that the thirst for knowledge cuts across age, profession and position. And this is where the real importance of the Peace House Bookclub lies.

A book is not important simply because it has many pages. The pages are only the container. What matters is what is inside them, that is, the ideas, experiences, lessons, principles and wisdom that can change the way a person sees the world. There is little value in reading a book if its lessons remain trapped between its covers. The real power of reading begins when knowledge is taken from the pages and applied to everyday life.

For young people, reading can make a remarkable difference. It can improve their ability to communicate, sharpen their thinking, stimulate their imagination and expose them to experiences beyond their immediate environment. Through books, a young person can encounter different cultures, different societies, different ways of thinking and different possibilities for the future. Reading also helps young minds develop the habit of asking questions. It teaches patience in a world increasingly accustomed to instant answers. It encourages reflection and gives people the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others without having to make every mistake themselves.

The benefits extend beyond the individual. A society filled with readers is more likely to have citizens who can engage thoughtfully with issues, question what they are told, understand different viewpoints and make informed decisions.

Books can teach lessons about leadership, governance, family, relationships, morality, entrepreneurship, education and personal development. When those lessons are applied, they can gradually influence homes, workplaces, institutions and communities. This is why Mrs Olapeju Babafemi deserves special commendation for starting the Peace House Bookclub and keeping the vision alive. Her contribution goes beyond organising gatherings around books. She has created a culture of intellectual conversation and encouraged people to see reading as part of personal development and responsible citizenship.

Perhaps even more gratifying is the fact that the impact of the initiative is already spreading beyond Peace House. Some of Mrs Babafemi’s mentees have gone ahead to establish their own Bookclubs. That may well be one of the clearest signs that the idea is working. When an idea inspires another person to create something similar, the impact has moved beyond the originator. In that sense, Mrs Babafemi is not merely building a Bookclub; she is building people who will continue to build others.

The Peace House Bookclub also resonates deeply with Ekiti’s long-standing reputation as a land of knowledge. For a state that prides itself on education and intellectual achievement, initiatives that encourage people to read and discuss ideas should be welcomed and supported. The dream should not be limited to having more people who can read. It should be about creating more people who actually read, think about what they read and use that knowledge to make a difference. That is the promise of the Peace House Bookclub.

From Minute Motivators for Leaders to Dear Ijeawele, from The Winning Strategies to Where Is Your Wrapper?, from The Purpose Driven Life to Cultivating Strategic Relationships, each edition has offered another opportunity to open a book and, perhaps more importantly, open a mind. If more people embrace that culture, the ripple effect could be enormous. When people read, they learn. When they learn, they think. When they think, they can make better choices. And when enough people make better choices, society itself begins to change.

That may ultimately be the greatest legacy of the Peace House Bookclub: helping Ekiti rediscover that its greatest fountain of knowledge is not merely a reputation from the past, but a culture that must be continually nurtured in the present.