The result of a survey tracking illiteracy has revealed that about
65 million Nigerians are still illiterate, National Programme Advisor on
Education, UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja, Dr. Mohammed Alkali,
disclosed.
Dr. Alkali, who made this known during an advocacy visit to Governor
Aminu Bello Masari, said people can be lifted out of poverty if they are
empowered with basic reading skills.
According to him, “just nine months of literacy increases a person’s earning by up to 10 per cent.”
He also revealed that UNESCO in collaboration with National Mass
Education Commission (NMEC) embarked on a project to revitalize adult
and youth literacy in Nigeria with the target of reducing Nigerian
illiteracy rate by between five to six million youths and adults.He,
however, pointed out that the Non-Formal Education sector has suffered
very low funding and political will in Nigeria, urging states to fulfill
their mandates by recruiting and paying UNESCO trained facilitators.
He also revealed that UNESCO in collaboration with National Mass
Education Commission (NMEC) embarked on a project to revitalize adult
and youth literacy in Nigeria with the target of reducing Nigerian
illiteracy rates by between five to six million youths and adults.
Dr. Alkali further stated that the project was developed with
“strategic partnership initiatives sharing responsibilities between
UNESCO, Federal Government, states and local government areas to achieve
the target results.”
The Advisor, however, lamented that mass literacy facilitators in
Katsina State were the least paid in the country with remuneration below
the national benchmark of N7,500 per month for part-time facilitators.
Responding, Governor Aminu Bello Masari ordered an audit of the mass
literacy facilitators and pledged that none of the actual facilitators
in Katsina would henceforth be paid less than the national benchmark.
The governor, who extolled the ability of adult education to increase
a person’s quality of life and skills acquisition, promised to ensure
that local governments improve their funding of non-formal education and
fulfill their roles for the success of the project.
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