South Korean children’s author and illustrator Boram has encouraged Nigerian children to look beyond traditional classroom learning and embrace imagination, creativity and storytelling as tools for personal growth, innovation and global engagement.
Boram made the call during a two-day literary engagement with pupils in Abuja organised by the Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria (KCCN), where she introduced young readers to the art of storytelling through interactive reading sessions and discussions.
The acclaimed writer said storytelling plays a vital role in helping children understand and express their emotions while inspiring them to explore possibilities beyond their immediate surroundings.
“I wanted to create books that express the feelings of children, and that’s how I began writing,” she said.
Boram, whose portfolio includes nearly 30 publications, explained that many of her stories are inspired by everyday experiences, conversations, books and films, demonstrating that creativity often emerges from ordinary moments.
Reflecting on her interaction with Nigerian pupils, she said the experience reinforced her belief that children around the world share similar dreams, emotions and curiosity regardless of cultural or linguistic differences.
“They are children from another country, but we saw the same story and had the same fun. It was amazing, and I was happy to share my thoughts with them,” she said.
As part of the programme, Boram introduced three of her books — Flap, Flap, Sunflower, Everyone Splash and Even an Umbrella Needs an Umbrella — using the stories to illustrate how simple ideas can be transformed into meaningful and engaging narratives through imagination.
Administrative Officer of the Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria, Chidinma Tobins, said the initiative was designed to help children see books as more than academic materials and to inspire them to view reading and writing as creative and rewarding pursuits.
“A lot of times, children see books mainly as textbooks. We wanted them to understand that someone actually wrote these books and had an idea behind them,” she said.
According to Tobins, exposing children to authors and other creative professionals can broaden their horizons and encourage them to pursue diverse career paths.
“Some children may not want to follow the norm. We wanted to show them that it is possible and that their imagination can actually lead them somewhere,” she added.
The programme forms part of the Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen cultural exchange and promote a reading culture among young Nigerians, while highlighting the power of creativity and storytelling to connect people across borders and inspire future generations of innovators and thinkers.
