The Federal Government says about 30 percent of Nigerians are illiterates.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, made this claim on Wednesday in Lagos.l when he addressed the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) 2022 Summit with the theme ‘Toward Safe Schools in Nigeria’.
The minister was represented by Vivian Wategre, Director of Education Service in the ministry.
He noted that actions and policies toward safe schools show the Federal Government’s commitment to Nigeria’s present and future times.
The minister said 31 percent of citizens were illiterate as of 2021, as against 38 percent in 2015.
Adamu expressed the ministry’s commitment to increasing the country’s literacy level.
He said the government’s effort to address the challenge includes collaborating with the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Global Education.
Adamu recalled that in May 2014, some Nigerian business leaders floated the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) during the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA) in Abuja.
This led to the Safe Schools Fund launch, with capitalization from the Federal Government, the private sector, and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
In August 2021, the National Council on Education approved the National Policy of Safety and Violence-Free Schools.
