The fact that education is central to development is universal, but Nigeria is yet to find an answer to its army of illiterates. Aside the about 10.2 million out-of-school children, the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) says the country has over 60 million illiterate youth and adults, which the Federal Government plans to reverse by 2025, writes FRANK IKPEFAN.
How to address Nigeria’s growing illiterate population took centre stage at the Nigeria Air Force Conference Centre at the weekend in Abuja. The subject was the talking point among government officials, experts, professionals and other stakeholders in the education sector.
This renewed push is aimed at ensuring that more Nigerians, especially women and youth become literate. The Federal Government, in its Education for Change: A Ministerial Strategic Plan (2018-22) roadmap document for the sector is pushing to reduce the number of Nigerians that are illiterate this year and eradicate it by 2025.
Literacy is the ability to read and write in any language and recently, it includes the ability to operate a computer. There is a need to improve the literacy skills of Nigerian youth and adult population to prepare them for the challenges of the modern knowledge-based society.
According to the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC), Nigeria has over 60 million illiterate youth and adults with women accounting for 60 per cent of this figure of Nigeria’s illiterate population.
NMEC is the Federal Government agency responsible for developing programmes, coordinating and implementing policies in the country’s non-formal education sector.
Youth and adult illiteracy remain one of the social issues in the path of development of the country. To address this, the country must adopt adult education awareness as a necessary tool to enlighten every part of the country.
Also, adult and formal education programmes constitute useful tools for achieving universal basic education, promoting gender equality and women empowerment and improving the health status of Nigerians.
A literate and educated society is the first major step for moving out of poverty-related challenges of insecurity and economic backwardness.
Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all and creating literate environments and societies is essential for achieving the goals of eradicating poverty and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy.
As the country desires to resolve its development challenges and compete in today’s fast-changing society, every citizen needs to have a wide set of knowledge, skills and competences, including literacy, numeracy and digital competency at a proficiency level in other to learn, adapt and participate in a social, economic, cultural and civic life.
Nigeria’s growing illiterate population bane of development
The over 60 million illiterate Nigerians are unable to read and write in any language. This has become a source of concern for the federal government.
NMEC’s Executive Secretary Prof. Abba Haladu noted that in addition to the challenge of out-of-school children of which Nigeria has about 10.2 million, the country was also faced with high illiteracy rate amongst its adults and youth population.
Prof. Haladu noted that this has remained a major impediment to the country’s developmental aspirations, given the millions of adults and youths affected.
The executive secretary explained that for Nigeria to achieve self -sustained development, all its people, men and women, the youth and the aged irrespective of gender, age, location and conditions of life should be able to read, write and calculate.
He said: “In addition to the problem of out – of – school children, Nigeria is being confronted by the challenge of high illiteracy rate amongst its adult and youth population and which remained a major impediment to the country’s development aspirations, given the millions of adults and youth that are affected by this disabling condition.
“According to the current estimates, more than 60 million Nigerians are unable to read and write in any language. For Nigeria to achieve self-sustained development, all its people, men and women, the youth and the aged, irrespective of gender, age, location and conditions of life should be able to read, write and calculate.
“Given the enormity of the mass literacy challenge, the federal government needs to take a lead and plan and execute a national mass literacy program. The goal should be to develop in the population the ability to use literacy to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the social and physical environment to improve on their modes of living, develop the right attitudes and commitment towards active participation in nation-building.
“This worthy effort will undoubtedly open up opportunities for the underprivileged and the future generations to acquire the essential skills they need to live a healthy, prosperous and productive life in a democratic life free from all forms of discrimination, extremism, violence and abuse.”
The executive secretary said the commission has developed an operational plan in anticipation of a national mass literacy campaign programme that he hoped the federal government will champion.
“We are very hopeful that the Federal Ministry of Education would soon review and take the plan to the next level in line with the goals of the Ministerial Strategic Plan. However, given the important role of states and local governments in the implementation of such a mass-oriented intervention, we urge the state governors to demonstrate the needed political will by generously allocating resources for the adult and non-formal education sector in their respective states.
“Stakeholders in this sub-sector are now beginning to see the light at the end of a tunnel. This, then means more commitment and sacrifice from all non-formal education stakeholders, as we struggle to re-position this important sector and implement achievable agenda for adult and lifelong learning in Nigeria.
“I am confident that with the combined efforts of all stakeholders, illiteracy will be reduced to the barest minimum in a few years to come and we can then take to the path of progress and sustainable development as a nation,” Prof. Haladu added.
A new drive for mass education
The commission’s Board Chairman, Alhaji. Gidado Akko noted that the agency was championing a new push for the rejuvenation of mass education agenda of the 1980s.
To achieve this, Akko said that the commission has built and sustained community learning centres (CLC) to provide skills for women and girls.
This, he explained, illustrates the agency’s efforts at creating facilities for skills acquisition which are aimed at promoting women/girls empowerment in selected skills designed to reduce poverty and enhance social and financial literacy among the populace
He said: “It is evident that there is an ongoing rejuvenation of mass education agenda of the 1980s as can be seen from the tremendous efforts of both the board and management of NMEC to introduce new measures and new strategies in minimising illiteracy among the Nigerian population and at the same time advance the cause of adult and non-formal education.
“There are clear and promising signs that the task of eradicating illiteracy and expanding the prospects and fortunes of adult and non-formal education would succeed especially in the face of the concerted efforts of the commission and stakeholders across the nation.”
Fed Govt calls for more action
Minister of Education Adamu Adamu rallied the support of stakeholders to quickly change the unsatisfactory education indicators of the country which boast of 10.2 million out-of-school children, a high illiteracy rate among youth and adult population as well inadequate access to basic education.
The minister noted that youth and adult literacy, being a major component of the government’s MSP, deserved the necessary attention to drive the programme.
The minister, who was represented by the Minister of State, Emeka Nwajiuba, at the roundtable discussion, called for more support and interventions to strength the adult and youth literacy goal of the government.
He said: “It is necessary that the federal government, working with the states and local governments, should take urgent steps towards a national programme to address the needs of youth, adults, girls and women and out-of-school children and those displaced by conflicts and other crisis.
“It is imperative that we act quickly to change the unsatisfactory education performance indicators which show a large number of out-of-school children, a high illiteracy level among youth and adults, infrastructural deficit and decay, inadequate access at the basic education level and low quality of learning among other problems.”
The Federal Government, in its MSP roadmap, noted that previous efforts at providing mass education in the country suffered significant setbacks due to many problems. The document identified lack of political will on the part of previous governments, inadequate or poor planning and coordination as well as serious funding deficits as part of what contributed to the failure of past efforts to encourage mass literacy.
The government noted in the document that a new course of action was needed for the implementation of a proposed mass literacy programme by the federal government to drastically reduce the mass illiteracy in the country by 2020 and eradicate it by 2025.
According to the government, to cater for about 12.7 million illiterate Nigerians each, there is a need to employ 170, 000 facilitators nationwide.
“This is on the assumption that each literacy instructor will handle two groups (classes) of 30 adults each of the duration of the programme,” the document said.
The document also called for the establishment of 167, 000 literacy centres yearly for three years.
Experts advocate the use of local languages
Prof. Michael Omolewa, in his paper titled: “Literacy and Multilingualism: A Bedrock for Sustainable National Development” argued that the adoption of more languages for teaching has helped in meeting the needs of the learners.
According to him, investing in the development of languages is an important duty which he said NMEC has done successfully.
Prof. Omolewa’s position on the use of local language was supported by a former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof Modupe Adelabu, who said the use of local languages in Nigeria was necessary to have a more literate and sustainable society.
Prof. Adelabu, who is the National Matron of Non-Governmental Association for Literacy Support Services (NOGALSS), urged Nigerians to embrace the use of local languages in education and literacy.
She said: “I am an advocate of the mother tongue. I have done a lot on it. I pilot-studied the mother tongue study with the World Bank. If you learn in your language, in your mother tongue, you will understand better and does not stop you from learning English as a second language.
“When we are talking about literacy, it doesn’t have to be in English. It can be in your mother tongue. Our old people can learn and understand better using their mother tongue.”