NIMEC and the challenge of Non- formal education

 24 years after its establishment by virtue of decree 17 of 1990, the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC)  is still grappling with an intimidating challenge from non formal education due to lack of aggressive literacy campaigns and minimal  interventions from governments . AUGUSTINE OKEZIE takes a critical look at the needed remediation steps

Speaking during an interview with newsmen in Abuja, the Chairperson, governing board of National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult & Non-formal Education, Dr. (Mrs.) Uduehi, noted that since the NMEC board was inaugurated by the Minister of Education to oversee the activities of the Commission, the proliferation of the percentage number of adult illiterates have remained unabated.
She said’’ as at the time we were inaugurated we were told we had about 40 million adult illiterates in the country, and now we are not talking about the staggering figure of out-of-school children, which is about 10.1 million children. We are worried because we foresee a situation where if something is not done and urgently too, about 10.1 million out-of-school children it may swell to 40 million adult illiterates’’.

She suggested aggressive advocacy campaign that can galvanize all tiers of government and ensure sustained enlightenment campaign about adult literacy education across the board. Taking the mass literacy campaign to the grassroots can only remain effective with the active cooperation of the Local and state governments. It will also reveal the true state of affairs as well as the level of illiteracy in most states and the country in general.
Not a few stakeholders have opined that NIMEC should step up its advocacy on literacy and non formal education with the active backing of governments in the area of funding and the provision of needed infrastructures. This will ensure a comprehensive sensitization of the populace especially the adult illiterate who needed to enroll in nearby evening learning center.

Realizing NIMEC’s mandate
Making the vast population of Nigerians that are illiterate to turn literate through non formal education represents the core mandate of NIMEC which remains realizable. As Dr Uduehi rightly observed ’’it’s about how to read, write, as well as understand basic things about the society so that they will be able to apply such to their daily lives. Election is fast around the corner, precisely 2015 and if you take a cursory look at most of the problems of our election system, you would find out that it has to do with high level of illiteracy of our people. For instance, most of the votes voided are from illiterates; those who cannot really interpret the signs and symbols on the ballot paper’’.
Despite the realization that the nation is facing daunting challenges by the rising profile of the illiterate class, little is being done in the promotion of non-formal education like the establishment of adult learning centers in every nook and cranny of the country with trained center facilitators, to enlist illiterate adults in every locality
It remains a mirage that under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) programme by 2015, which is next year, the country may not meet the Education for All (EFA) target, meaning there would be no total eradication of illiteracy in our society. Since we cannot wake up over night and wish away 40 million illiterate people in our midst.
Illiterate adults should be encouraged to learn. But many of our adults do not take the programme seriously. Unfortunately, Nigerians do not take things seriously. They will tell you they are too old to learn. Even when someone is 80 or 90 years old, he will say he is too old to learn.
Adult Education can never be formal education. There is no spelt out time for the adult learners to learn. They go to the school when it is convenient for them. They choose the time they want to go to school, whether it is in the evening, when they are back from the market. Is it in the morning before or in the evening? It all depends on when they chose to attend classes. Some classes are even conducted under trees or in the palaces or village square.

Acting head of department of Education, University of Ibadan, Dr. A.A. Sarumi, who edited a book titled: Adult and Non-Formal Education for Sustainable National Development: Issues and Perspectives, emphasized the need to simulate Nigeria’s economic growth and launching the country onto a path of sustained and rapid socio-economic transformation through Adult and Non-Formal Education.
A country with larger percentage of adult illiterates is certainly making no economic and political progress as the level of growth and production will certainly be affected by the level of available manpower. There is no gain saying the fact that the application of modern technology in the production process is dependent on availability of a well trained manpower and that resorting to mundane technology as a result of poor human capacity is an open invitation to poverty.
Similarly, since we are in a democratic dispensation, the clamor for voter awareness and education is simplified in a literate population. A literate voter certainly knows his or her right and does not need anybody’s direction at the polling center.