Educational institution NMEC plans to reintegrate 500,000 youths who are not currently attending school into academic programs.
The National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) has kicked off a two-day training for enumerators, marking the beginning of a significant government initiative aimed at addressing the country's literacy challenges.
According to the Director of Programmes at NMEC, Mr Samuel Aziba, this program represents a renewed commitment to addressing Nigeria's literacy gaps. The initiative, which will cover all the 774 local government areas of the federation, is expected to return over 500,000 learners in the first phase of the program.
The training of 376 enumerators from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is being conducted by UNICEF. These enumerators will be equipped to use digital devices for data collection, with a focus on automated data collection tools to address challenges related to out-of-school children.
The exact number of facilitators driving the exercise in Abuja was not specified, but it is known that 250 will be involved. Pilot testing of the program will begin in four locations within the FCT before the nationwide rollout. The location of these testing sites was not disclosed.
The aim of the program extends beyond literacy, as it also emphasises vocational training. Monitoring will be done in real-time through a dashboard linked to the National Identity Management System (NIMC).
The program's support is not limited to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who have both pledged their backing.
It's important to note that as of 2021, Nigeria has more than 30 million non-literate adults. This large-scale data exercise, the first of its kind conducted by NMEC since the 2010 National Literacy Survey, has been delayed primarily due to funding constraints.
The training is part of a phased literacy program, with the first literacy cycle lasting between six to nine months. The enumerators are tasked with capturing data on youths aged 15 years and above who have dropped out of school or never had the opportunity to continue their education.
The acting executive secretary of NMEC did not specify who made the commendation about the Minister of Education and UBEC's support for the program. However, the commendation underscores the collaborative nature of this initiative, which is poised to make a significant impact on Nigeria's literacy landscape.
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