FG’ll continue to improve basic education —UBEC

THE Federal Government will continue to do all it can to improve basic education and lay solid foundation for sustainable education with life-long learning in Nigeria.

Executive secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi, gave the commitment in his address as the guest speaker at the 2019 International Literary Conference of the Department of Adult Education, University of Ibadan.

The conference which held at the Faculty of Social Sciences Lecture Theatre of the university last week was tagged ‘UBEC and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBS): Responsibilities in the Promotion of Literacy for Nigerian Youths and Adults’.

Bobboyi said the commission would continue to develop in the citizenry strong consciousness for education; provide free, universal basic education for every Nigerian child of school age, ensure the appropriate acquisition of literacy skills, reduce the incidence of drop-outs from formal school system, among others.

He said the commission also collaborates with other agencies such as the National Commission for Adult and Mass Education (NMEC), National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE), Nigeria Education Research and Development Council (NERDC), to deliver effective literacy programmes for the youth and adults.

Bobboyi also said that the commission takes pragmatic steps at improving teachers; provides instructional materials; takes care of the almajiris and out-of-school children, while also collaborating with international development partners (IDPs) such as Department for International Developmental (TDP) Teacher Development programme (TDP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in improving literacy.

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Also, the executive secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education, Professor Abba Abubakar Haladu, on the occasion, said that it is imperative for academics and practitioners in the non-formal education sub-sector to come together and deliberate on the possible ways of dealing with existing challenges in the education sector, most especially in literacy promotion.

He commended the department for bringing together stakeholders in the non-formal education sub-sector, and for repositioning the adult and non-formal sub-sector as the nation strives to ensure the attainment of sustainable development goals.

The vice chancellor of the university, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, who was represented by the deputy vice chancellor, Research, Innovation and Partnership, Professor Olanike Adeyemo, said emphasis had shifted to the acquisition of skills for poverty eradication and employability of both youths and adults.

Olayinka noted youth unemployment and under-employment is an urgent global concern. He, however, said that this is a major reason literacy experts and scholars worldwide are agitating for an approach that combines literacy and the development of skills so that people could improve their lives.

The head of the department, Professor Rasheed Aderinoye, had earlier commended the federal government and the university for efforts put in place to promote literacy.