ABUJA/Nigeria: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Federal Ministry of Education and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have agreed to work together to make Nigeria among the top literate nations in the world.
They made the commitment at an Expository Dialogue Session with stakeholders in the education sector on Monday in Abuja.
The event was organised by the Non-Governmental Association for Literacy Support Services (NOGALSS) in collaboration with FCT Department for Mass Education.
Mr Dimitri Sanga, UNESCO’s Regional Office Director for West Africa (Sahel), said the organisation had been working with Nigeria through the federal ministry of education to review policies and programmes that would contribute to the eradication of illiteracy.
Represented by Dr Steven Onyekwelu, Spotlight Project Manager, UNESCO, Sanga said that UNESCO had supported the Ministry in developing the ministerial strategic plan 2018 to 2022.
“Not only that, we are also collaborating with the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non Formal Education (NMEC) in eradicating illiteracy.
“At the NGO level, UNESCO is also supporting NOGALSS in ensuring that their capacities are being built.
“In 2019, UNESCO supported them with funding, here they built the capacity of NGOs to be able to deliver better.‘’
Sanga said that UNESCO was conducting situation analysis to know the level of implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) in the formal and non-formal education sector in Nigeria.
He said that under the spotlight initiative, UNESCO supported the Nigeria Research and Development Council to review the national curricular and issues related to gender based violence.
He said that the document had passed through the first stage at the National Council of Education and very soon would become an approved document to be implemented across the 36 states and the FCT.
Mr Noah Emmanuel, National President, NOGALSS, said that the dialogue with NGOs and relevant partners was aimed at speeding the achievement of Education 2030 Agenda.
Emmanuel said strengthening the capacities of NGOs and CSOs engaged in the promotion of literacy and adult education remained the most important mandate of NOGALLS.
He said that the federal ministry of education’s ministerial strategic plan also covered plans for out of school children.
Emmanuel noted that the federal government required the support of all stakeholders in the education sector to accomplish the strategic plan.
“It is pertinent to note that NOGAlSS as an umbrella body of CSOs operating in all the 36 states and FCT must use its support services provision mandate to assist the attainment of some of the aforementioned government efforts.”
Prof. Akpam Ibor, Executive Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC), represented by Director Literacy and Development, John Edeh, said the commission was committed to eradicating illiteracy in the country.
Ibor said that the commission had established community literacy centres geared towards empowering young men and girls with vocational trades.
“At the moment we are also implementing rural facilitators scheme which is geared towards improving the number of adults and youths that are literates in the country.
“One of the strategies we are using is literacy by radio which simply means you can be at the comfort of your house listening to literacy by radio. ‘’
Ibor said so far, the commission covers Ogun, Ondo, Rivers, Abia, Yobe and Jigawa states and plan to scale up to other states in next year’s budget.
He said that the commission had supported 27 states with skills acquisition equipments to be able to provide vocational skills.
