Illiteracy is both developmental and national security issue

Sunday, 8 September passed virtually unnoticed, especially by those of us who have more reason to bother than anyone else. Observed every year since 1966 as the International Literacy Day one would have expected some collective introspection as we in Northern Nigeria are one of the most illiterate section, and the one with the highest […]

Sunday, 8 September passed virtually unnoticed, especially by those of us who have more reason to bother than anyone else. Observed every year since 1966 as the International Literacy Day one would have expected some collective introspection as we in Northern Nigeria are one of the most illiterate section, and the one with the highest number of out of school children, in the world. No debates, no workshops, no lectures, no posters. Nothing, except for a few radio and TV talks and some official press releases.
But it is not too late. The whole of September is often globally dedicated to stimulate discussions and debates on the problems of mass illiteracy. Governments should seize this opportunity to renew commitments to widening access to educational opportunities for school-age children and deprived adults not covered by formal public school system.
It is also noteworthy that the theme of last years’ International Literacy Day was “Literacy and Peace” demonstrating the role of literacy in bringing people together to fight insecurity and ethnic mistrust. The ability to read and write transforms people and empowers them to cope with change and diversity. They can hopefully be more equipped to understand and engage with political institutions, make rational choices and exercise citizenship rights.
This year the world is focusing on “Literacies for the 21st Century” to emphasize the place of reading, writing and numeracy skills in enabling life-long learning and equipping all people with what they need to survive and attain their potentials in this knowledge-driven and competitive technological age.
A lot has been achieved over the decades yet there is still far to go. According to the UNESCO some 775 million people are still considered non-literate, of whom 85 per cent live in 41 countries- Nigeria inclusive. We have globally fallen short of the Education for All goal established in 2000 for a 50 per cent improvement in literacy levels worldwide by 2015.
Nigeria’s case is the most alarming because 12 years on, and two years to the target year of 2015, the country is one of the few countries that will not achieve the Education for All targets. By some estimates, 40 to 45 million of our citizens are virtually illiterate, mostly living in the North West and North East.A recent survey conducted by our National Bureau of Statistics paints an even grimmer picture.It estimated that the adult literacy rate was only 56.9 percent nationally, with huge variations between states, adding that while Lagos had 88 per cent, Yobe’s population was only 14 per cent literate. It further added that the urban areas had 75 per cent literacy rate and rural areas 48 per cent; males had 65 per cent, while only about 49 per cent of our females are literate.
Statistics from the Ministry of Education showed that only 500,000 of these 40 to 45 million adult illiterates were enrolled in adult education classes.
And things are getting more alarming because even the younger elements are now at risk. Statistics showed that 57 million children were out of school globally in 2011. Nigeria accounts for 20 per cent of this total (or over 10.5 million). Of every five children out of school in this world, one is a Nigerian, with my state, Kano, topping the chart. The other countries with serious problems are Pakistan (5.1 million); Ethiopia (2.4 million); India (2.3 million); Philippines (1.5 million); Cote d’Ivoire (1.2 million); Burkina Faso (1million); Niger (1 million); Kenya (1 million); Yemen (0.9 million); Mali (0.8 million) and South Africa (0.7 million).
Even when our children enrol in schools, many do not complete the primary cycle.  According to current data, 30per cent of pupils drop out of primary school and only 54 per cent transit to Junior Secondary Schools. We all have something to say regarding the quality of even those who manage to graduate.
All these figures may actually be understating the real situation on the ground. I am not even sure that they have added nomadic children to this total, as these are more often not captured in any survey. While there are 3.5 million nomadic school-aged children only about 450,000 are accessing any form of schooling. What is not in dispute however is the fact that the vast majority of the illiterates and out of school children are in the Muslim north. This is all the more reason why we should not allow the International Literacy Day to go unnoticed. We have everything to lose. Literacy is at the heart of the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals. The Boko Haram insurgency has also brought to the surface the dangers of illiteracy as a source of poverty, non-inclusion and violent upheavals.
We must praise UNESCO who has, over four and a half decades now, led this celebration of International Literacy Day as a reminder o the international community that literacy is a human right, a foundation for all learning and a tool for achieving individual and collective aspirations. All personal empowerment, social and human development, and the seizing of educational and other opportunities depend on literacy. All of us, but especially our governments, must rededicate ourselves to eradicating this blight. As we all now appreciate, literacy is essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, coping with population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy.
While it is true that over the years, the notion of literacy has evolved, and we must define it broadly, it still has defining features we can all accept. The conventional concept linked to reading, writing and numeracy skills is still valid, but we must add to that the notion of functional literacy so as to link literacy to the diverse learning needs of individuals in knowledge-oriented and globalized societies.
Every person should be able, even if he or she missed formal schooling, to acquire the knowledge and skills essential for living better lives. Literacy (and basic education) is a right, an end in itself as well as a tool for liberation.
Section 18 of our 1999 Constitution (as amended), provides that “Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and…shall AS AND WHEN PRACTICABLE provide (a) free, compulsory and universal primary education; (b) free secondary education; (c ) free university education; and (d) free adult literacy programme.” (Emphasis added)
Section 6(6)(c) of the same constitution makes it impossible to enforce the above provisions in any court of law. Clearly it is time to change that.