The Director, FCT-Agency for Mass Education, Alhaji Musa Yakubu, has said in Abuja that UNESCO had arranged to train 50, 000 women on literacy and different skills acquisition by June.
Yakubu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the training would cover the FCT and Rivers.
He said the training would be organised by UNESCO in collaboration with and agency and its Rivers’ counterpart.
He said: “The training, which will last for three years, is a pilot programme. It will commence in Abuja and Rivers by June. They will learn through the use of radio and television.
“They will teach them on how to read and write through the ICT. 20,000 women will be trained in the first year, 10, 000 for FCT and 10, 000 for Rivers.
“They will not only be taught how to read and write, they will also be taught some basic skills such as catering services, tailoring and soap making, amongst others.”
The director said UNESCO would provide instructional materials for the programme, which would be coordinated by Procter and Gamble (P and G), makers of sanitary pads.
“P and G is handling the programme because most of its products, such as sanitary pads, are being used by our women and girls. They want to empower them. I think it is like payback time.”
He said on its part, the agency would create awareness, provide facilitators and arrange for the venue of the programme.
He said the agency, with 582 centres in the six area councils, had the mandate to provide literacy to those that did not have the opportunity to access formal education in earlier in life.
“Our mandate is to make sure that every adult is literate, including the youths that are out of school.”
