Others • Created March 18, 2012 05:00

Nine million Nigerian children out of school

Chief, Section for Literacy and Non-Formal Education at the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, Dr. Venkata Subbarao Ilapavuluri made this known at the opening of a three-day workshop on National Strategic Framework for Adult and Youth Literacy in Nigeria. Dr. Ilapavuluri said there are about 70 million children out of school worldwide […]

Nine million Nigerian children out of school
Nine million Nigerian children out of school

Chief, Section for Literacy and Non-Formal Education at the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, Dr. Venkata Subbarao Ilapavuluri made this known at the opening of a three-day workshop on National Strategic Framework for Adult and Youth Literacy in Nigeria.

Dr. Ilapavuluri said there are about 70 million children out of school worldwide and Nigeria contributes the greatest chunk to this number and stressed that more needs to be done to bring the figures down saying, “There is no point in collecting data unless it is used.”

Speaking earlier, the executive secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC), Dr. Jibril Paiko said Nigeria alongside Pakistan, stands the risk of not meeting the Education for All goal by 2015 adding that “the worst enemy of development is illiteracy.”

He charged all relevant parastatals to “put all hands on deck” in order to improve the literacy figure in the country.

Dr. Joseph Ngu, UNESCO’s Country representative in Nigeria suggested that youth corps members should be mobilised and trained to combat illiteracy in the country.

“I believe if we can use them well, we can cut down on the number of illiterates in the country quicker than we expect,” he said, adding that the effective use of corps members can help eradicate illiteracy in the country by 2015. “There is no justification for denying anyone literacy,” he added.

The three day workshop organised by UNESCO drew participants from relevant ministries, parastatals and NGOs as well as facilitators from as far as India and Kenya among others.


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