By Okeoghene Oghenekaro and Kate Obande
Abuja – Some stakeholders in the Education sector have identified teacher development as the panacea to boosting literacy level in the country.
The stakeholders spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Thursday in Abuja, on the occasion of the 2016 International Literacy Day.
The Day is celebrated worldwide every year on Sept. 8 and the theme for the 2016 celebration is “Reading The Past, Writing The Future”.
Ms Chioma Osuji, the Policy Advisor, Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All (CSACEFA), an NGO, told NAN that the Federal Government needed to prioritise and invest more in teachers’ development and capacity building, in order to boost the literacy level in the country.
“Government needs to also encourage teachers being deployed to rural areas and ensure that they are qualified.
“Learning infrastructure and facilities should also be adequately provided to ensure that education is improved.’’
Osuji further urged the government and all stakeholders to lay more emphasis on education, adding that boosting literacy level in the country was the responsibility of all education stakeholders.
She singled out Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) as a key stakeholder, insisting that boosting literacy in the country must be addressed from the basic level.
She noted that the National Commission of Mass Literacy (NMEC) had built centres for adult education and other Information Technology centres but stressed that this was not enough.
She observed that the literacy level in the country was still very low compared to other countries.
Osuji advised the commission to wake up to its responsibilities.
In a separate interview, Mr Hamzat Lawal, the Chief Executive Officer, Connected Development (CODE), an NGO, urged the management of NMEC to use the media in creating awareness on its activities.
Lawal said that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could not be achieved without improving literacy level in the country.
He noted that basic literacy required that all Nigerian citizens should be able to read and write.
Lawal also urged the NMEC to partner Civil Society Organisations to ensure that it achieved its mandate.
He further charged the commission to ensure transparency and accountability in the utilisation of funds both from Nigerian tax payers’ money and donations while carrying out their duties.
Commenting on the UNESCO Literacy by Radio programme, Lawal stressed the need to do more and expand the programme and maximise the use of radio.
NAN recalls that recently, UNESCO in collaboration with NMEC, expressed commitment to revive the Literacy by Radio Programme in the 36 states of the country and the FCT.
Also commenting, Dr Jallow Saidou, UNESCO Education Specialist, said the programme was targeted at achieving SDG for education.
“We want to revitalise the Literacy by Radio Project; put it back on track and commence nationwide airing of radio lessons. Plans have already been put in place towards the success of this review process.
“This review is important because the literacy by radio programme witnessed a huge success within the few years of its operational existence and the coverage of radio cannot be compared to the coverage of classroom teaching.
“However, due to the inability of states to take ownership and sustain the programme, airing of the lessons have virtually stopped in 33 states of the country except for Katsina, Lagos, Bauchi and FCT.’’
NAN also recalls that Prof. Abba Haladu, the Executive Secretary NMEC had said that the commission was building 13 community learning centres (two per geopolitical zone in the country).
Haladu said this was in a bid to empower communities to get involved in literacy and vocational skills acquisition.
NAN reports that this year marks the 50th anniversary of UNESCO’s celebration of the International Literacy Day.
The day is set aside to actively mobilise the international community and to promote literacy as an instrument to empower individuals, communities and societies. (NAN)