The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on all levels of Government to redouble efforts in tackling the alarming state of illiteracy in the Country as the World commemorates World Literacy Day. The Union stressed that the occasion should serve as a sobering reminder of the urgent need to prioritise education across the federation.
According to the NUJ, despite some ongoing efforts to raise the standard of education in Nigeria, the interventions remain grossly inadequate in the face of worsening statistics. The Union referenced the latest Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO, which revealed that 251 million children are currently out of school globally — a marginal one percent decrease since 2015.
A statement signed by Achike Chude, National Secretary of the Union meant to mark the World Literacy Day contained a report painted a bleak picture for Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of out-of-school children had increased by 12 million.
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Nigeria alone accounts for a staggering 15% of the global total, a figure the NUJ described as “outrageous and unsustainable,” given the country’s population and economic potential.
Further highlighting the crisis, the NUJ cited a 2022 UNICEF report which showed that one in three Nigerian children is out of school.
“The breakdown includes 10.2 million out-of-school children at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary level. An additional 1.12 million children have never attended school, while 5.9 million dropped out prematurely”; the NUJ said.
The NUJ also raised concerns about the declining quality of teachers and school administrators, linking it to chronic underfunding.
“A BusinessDay report published on October 28, 2024, indicated that education spending per child in Nigeria has remained flat since 2010. The report also revealed that African governments, particularly Nigeria, spend nearly as much on debt servicing as they do on education”.
Adding to the crisis is the growing migration of Nigerian teachers and educators seeking better opportunities abroad. This brain drain, according to the NUJ, is depleting the nation’s already strained education workforce and undermining efforts to improve learning outcomes.
The Union urged the Federal and State Governments to adopt deliberate and targeted policies, significantly increase investments in education, and provide competitive incentives for educators. “A new, positive chapter must be written for Nigeria’s education system”; the Union said.
