By Martin Paul
Abuja
Executive Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy and Non-formal Education (NMEC), Abba Haladu, has said that over 50 million Nigerian adults still remain illiterates despite efforts to eradicate the syndrome.
Haladu made the disclosure in Abuja regretted the increasing number illiterate adults in the country, when other countries had continued to record progress in their mass literacy drives.
He said the high rate of illiteracy in the country had become a challenge to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target, stressing that “tremendous progress has been made in the fight against illiteracy in the last five decades, yet the world is still home to at least 758 million illiterate adults, and about two thirds of them are women.
“In Nigeria in particular, the illiteracy situation is still troubling. With an estimated figure of over 50 million adult illiterates and 11.5 million out of school children, the problem of illiteracy remains one of Nigeria’s greatest obstacles to development.
“In fact, UNESCO 2016 contends that as other regions of the world are recording progress in the fight against illiteracy, Sub-Saharan Africa, in which Nigeria has the highest number of population, is unfortunately experiencing rising absolute numbers of non-literate adults.”
Haladu, who called on the federal government to upturn the unwholesome illiteracy statistics, also urged state and local governments, nongovernmental organisations and the organised private sector, to ensure the necessary material support needed to eradicate illiteracy were adequately provided.
In his address, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment towards addressing the challenges of adult literacy by providing quality education for all through the implementation of effective policies.
Represented by the Director, Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Ann Okonkwo, the minister said adult illiteracy would affect the status of women, fertility, children’s development, economic productivity and political processes.
He said: “Efforts would be made to strengthen equity and access, equality, funding, teacher quality, effective curriculum implementation, human resource development and provision of infrastructure, to equip young people and adult learners with the right knowledge and skills for global citizenship.”
Adamu called on stakeholders to rededicate themselves and come up with new mode of operations, innovative initiatives in content and pedagogical methods, to provide sufficient and appropriate learning options for youth and adults who did not enroll or dropped out of school.
