Kogi seeks stakeholders’ support on adult literacy, non-formal education

THE Kogi State government has solicited the support of the relevant stakeholders to make learning centres for adult literacy and non-formal education functional and effective across the state.

Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, made the request in Lokoja, at a meeting she held with relevant stakeholders in the education sector.

The stakeholders included Non-Governmental Association for Literacy Support Services (NOGALSS), UNESCO, National Commission for Mass Literacy Adults and non-formal Education (NMEC), and heads of departments of Mass Literacy and Home Economics from the 21 local government areas of Kogi.

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She said that the state government was looking at how to harmonise and bring in more collaboration between all relevant stakeholders, including government and private centres across the state.

He noted that Governor Yahaya Bello had made a robust provision for adult literacy and non formal education in the 2019 budget in terms of materials and other needs, saying “it was the first in the history of Kogi.”

She said, “the governor wants to see a lot of activities going on in the sector; over 90 per cent of rural dwellers can neither read nor write.

‘’A year ago, we started the part of restructuring of adult literacy and non-formal education. We now have a local language curriculum for basic education in Kogi State for Igala and Ebira.

‘’Our vision and our dream is that government would make learning centres for adult literacy and non formal education effective, functional and provide learning materials.’’

The commissioner reiterated that education remained the key top priority of the five thematic areas of the present administration, stressing that external support was required as government alone could not fully fund education.

She noted that the recent data from the 2019 annual school census indicated that there were a high number of ‘out of school’ children, saying the meeting was to fashion out strategies for effective engagement and collaboration among stakeholders.

Osikoya added that the government was reviewing education laws in line with the current realities, hence, the robust provision for the adult and non-formal education sector by the governor.

She, therefore, urged stakeholders to come up with issues that would enhance capacity building in the area of vocational skills development.

In their separate remarks, the representatives of NOGALSS, UNICEF, NMEC and ANFE promised a robust collaboration with the ministry and other partners to achieve the set goal of the government at the meeting.

Mr Emmanuel Noah, NOGALSS national president, commended the commissioner for her commitment to development of the sector, and promised to support government’s effort to move the sector to the next level.