The Enugu State Government says it will partner with non-formal education agencies to revitalize adult and youth literacy in the state.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, represented by his deputy, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, made this known when he received in audience the members, National Programme Steering Committee to the Revitalization of Adult and Youth Literacy in Nigeria Project (RAYL), the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and non-formal education (NMEC) and UNESCO who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Enugu.
Alarmed by UNESCO’s estimate that illiteracy rate among Nigeria’s 150million population was still high in 2015, Governor Ugwuanyi said there is urgent need for concerted efforts by major players in the educational sector to improve the state of affairs.
He said the RAYL project is, therefore, “a well- thought out and very important vehicle for tackling this challenge and I must commend the federal government through the Ministry of Education and other relevant agencies and UNESCO, for teaming up to bring the project to fruition and indeed, for their leadership in coordinating efforts towards addressing the challenges of illiteracy amongst Nigeria adults and youths including Enugu state”.
Earlier, the Regional Representative for UNESCO in the country, Dr. Saidu Jallow, said that they were in Government House, Enugu to solicit the assistance and support of the state government towards bridging the gap between the core illiterate adults and youths and their literate counterparts through designed literacy programmes.
According to Dr. Jallow, this could only be achieved through partnership and collaboration with the state government and other relevant agencies.
He commended the state governor for his giant strides in the provision of democracy dividends to the people in the areas of roads, education, healthcare delivery service, housing, electricity and others.
Other speakers, including Dr. Mrs. Ifeyinwa Nneoli Ukaegbu of the office of the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on MDA/SDG Abuja, appealed to the state government to assist the agency achieve its laudable objectives/policies in the areas of accommodation, fund and other logistics.
