UN educationally disadvantaged countries: Nigeria makes moves to get delisted

By John Alechenu, Abuja
Saturday, 17 Sep

Education Minister, Prof. Ruqquayat Ahmed-Rufaicrackcrackcrackcrack

The Federal Government has decided to give priority attention to the education of the girl-child. It also aims to improve on the strategies for mass literacy in the country, as part of its efforts to eradicate illiteracy.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, who is also the current chairman of the E-9 or Educationally Disadvantaged countries, hinted during a meeting with the heads of parastatal in the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja that the government was determined to improve the level of literacy among Nigerians.

Rufa’I appealed to friendly nations to assist Nigeria in improving its literacy level, especially among female children. She made the appeal at the recently-concluded International Conference on Women Literacy for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in Delhi, India, a few days after the 2011 International Literacy Day. This is celebrated annually by the United Nations to draw attention to the challenges of illiteracy. Nigeria is one of the nine countries listed by the UN as educationally disadvantaged.

The other countries in the list are Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, Bangladesh, China, Mexico, Egypt and India. All the listed countries are collectively regarded as home to the majority of the world’s illiterate people. At present, the E-9 countries are seeking to substantially reduce the level of illiteracy by 2015.

The Minister of State for Education, Ezenwo Wike, has in recent times been vocal about Nigeria’s plan to address the problem.

While inaugurating the 2011 ILD celebration in Abuja on September 8, Wike noted that Nigeria had been particularly interested in the theme of the 2011 event, which was ‘Literacy for Peace,’ because of the recent security challenges facing the country.

He said the theme was timely, even as Nigeria grappled with the challenges of national transformation and the building of a united, peaceful and prosperous nation.

He noted that the falling standard of education in the country was directly linked to illiteracy and poverty. This, he added, was worsened by many years of institutional neglect.

He noted, without prejudice to the current national adult literacy rate at 56.9 per cent, that available statistics pointed to the fact that an unacceptably high population of Nigerians were still illiterate.

Statistics generated from the monitoring of education levels in the Millennium Development Goals showed that only 71.8% of Nigerians aged 15 to 24 years were literate.

The figure covers up till July 2011, and shows a slight increase from the 71.2% recorded in 1999.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has earmarked September 8 each year to raise awareness about illiteracy levels and its link with healthy societies, with a strong emphasis on epidemics and communicable diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Nearly four billion people worldwide are literate out of which 774 million adults lack minimum literacy skills, according to UNESCO statistics. One in five adults is illiterate, two-thirds of them being women. According to the latest National Demographic Health Survey, the ratio of uneducated women is higher than men.

Women have lower school attendance rates when compared to their male counterparts aged between five and 24.

Available figures indicate that 75 million children are out of school and many more attend irregularly or drop out of school.

Wike said the Federal Government planned to reduce the illiteracy level by ensuring that 10 million Nigerians are made literate each year within a period of four years.

He pointed out that the current administration’s literacy initiative was in line with national development targets through concerted efforts and policies. The minister said it was on this basis that the ministry would ensure that the programme for the revitalisation of adult and youth literacy by UNESCO was successfully implemented.

He said, “The programme, which will run for the next four years, aims to reach about 40 million illiterates by 2015.’’

Wike observed that the nation had relatively delivered on the Education For All initiative with an adult national literacy rate of 59.9 per cent.

Alhaji Jubril Paiko, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, on his part said inadequate funding was one of the biggest challenges facing the commission in its effort to deliver on its mandate.

He said UNESCO had set aside the day to remind the international community of the global status of literacy and adult learning globally.
SOURCE: Saturday Punch 17 September 2011. http://punchontheweb.com