Politics

FG restates commitment to eradicate adult illiteracy

The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to eradicate adult illiteracy in Nigeria as a key measure towards addressing the menace of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

The government has accordingly directed the leadership of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC),
to furnish the Federal Ministry of Education with the current number of adult illiterates in the country, their location and strategies for providing education for them.

Both the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman and the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, expressed concerns about the high number of adult Nigerians who cannot read and write, saying this also has adverse effects on the education of their children.

The Ministers made the assertion while receiving briefing from the leadership of NMEC on Thursday in Abuja.

The duo were unanimous on the need to tackle adult illiteracy, stressing that adult illiterates constitute the fountain from which out-of-school children keep flowing.

The number of illiterate Nigerians is estimated at 31 percent according to a recent report with data from the Ministry of Education revealing that as of September 2021, 38 percent of the estimated 200 million population, representing over 76 million adults, are non-literates.

Prof. Mamman, however, insisted that the Commission in charge of mass literacy and education should furnish his office with the current number of adult illiterates in the country, their location and strategies for taking them off that shelve.

According to the Minister, the most potent way of tackling the out-of-school children phenomenon is to give adequate attention to adult education, emphasising that educated adults are more likely to better educate their children.

Mamman, particularly noted that one of the fundamental ways to deal with the ever-increasing number of out-of-school children is to educate the parents, adding that an educated parent is more likely to educate his/her child.

He identified funding, advocacy and commitment as key elements necessary in tackling the menace of adult illiteracy.

Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr Ben. Bem Goong in a statement said the Minister of State for Education, Sununu, on his part, emphasised that adequate funding was critical in raising the literacy level of the country.

Sununu wondered why the National Commission for Mass Literacy has been removed from the funding envelope of the annual national budget, promising that he would take up the matter with his colleagues at the National Assembly.

He explained that the NMEC is not a revenue yielding Agency, but the provider of a critical national service.

Briefing the two Ministers earlier, the Director General of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Prof Simon Akpama told the Ministers that investment in the adult education subsector has the potential of not only improving the overall literacy level of the country but would also drastically reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

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