Nigeria requires 58 years to eradicate illiteracy — UNESCO

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation,

has said that over 62 million Nigerians are illiterates, a situation it described as dangerous to the development of the country.

UNESCO also said it would take Nigeria another 58 years to completely eradicate illiteracy, even with innovations like Information and Communications Technology and other learning mechanisms.

At an international workshop on Teaching and Learning organized by Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, on Monday, the National Progamme Officer, UNESCO Regional office in Abuja, Muhammad Alkali, canvassed the full adoption of ICT not only to increase quality of education, but for more Nigerians to have access to education.

Mr. Alkali, who praised ABUAD for placing high premium on quality teaching and learning, said full introduction of ICT into Nigeria educational system as done in Pakistan, would help in strengthening democratic and transparent educational planning and management that would make every citizen to contribute to knowledge-based economy.

He said the mobile system of education helps to make learning very flexible, particularly in a situation where resources are scarce, thereby fettering citizens’ access to education.

“UNESCO is targeting drop-outs which are predominant in JSS2 going by available research in Nigeria. We are seriously concerned and worried with increasing illiteracy in Africa. We are getting a place in the neighbourhood where they can be taught,” he said.

“Unless we are deceiving ourselves, ICT remains the best way to provide education now going by the experiences in Pakistan.

“With about 62 million illiterates, Nigeria needs 58 years to banish illiteracy and this is going to be hectic.”

Also speaking at the event, founder of the University, Afe Babalola (SAN), said the 21st century presented challenges and opportunities for educational institutions to transform teaching and learning.

According him, ABUAD has identified ICT as a veritable platform to improve standards, stressing that the platform had been effective.

“The emergence of social networks like Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn have assumed a global dimension, offering opportunities to disseminate knowledge to students online,” he noted.

“This university has developed vast array of IT infrastructures around the campus to facilitate teaching, learning and research.

“This is aimed at nurturing students with novel technologies critical to sustaining their academic and professional careers”.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Michael Ajisafe, on his part, explained that the university had invested so much in ICT and it had afforded students access helped materials in many universities across the globe.

He said ABUAD is a reference point and leading light in quality education, given the extensive infrastructure available on campus to facilitate teaching, research.