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Nigeria cannot afford to ignore the alarm sounded by the National Association of Seadogs: the country must tackle its literacy crisis if it will achieve the ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
NAS, also known as Pyrates Confraternity, made the call in commemoration of this year’s International Literacy Day. The warning is timely and fundamental. No country can build a productive, innovative and globally competitive economy while millions of its citizens cannot read, write, or acquire the skills required to participate meaningfully in the modern world.
The theme of this year’s International Literacy Day — “Literacy for People, the Planet and Prosperity” — is relevant to Nigeria. Apart from being the foundation upon which people learn, work, and access opportunities, literacy is critical in the quest for economic prosperity. NAS deserves commendation for drawing government’s attention to this connection.
About 18.3 million Nigerian children are out of school. Millions of the country’s adults are illiterate. Beyond an education problem, this is an economic, social and security emergency.
Keeping a child out of school today denies Nigeria a potential worker, entrepreneur, scientist, among others. Any adult who cannot read or write is critically disadvantaged. This demands urgent action from the state and federal governments.
The states, which bear primary responsibility for basic education, must take ownership of the crisis. At the same time, the Federal Government must provide stronger coordination, funding, and standards. Nigeria can draw lessons from countries that overcame similar educational challenges.
Rwanda, for instance, invested heavily in education after the devastation of the 1994 genocide. The country expanded access to basic education and invested significantly in schools and teachers. It pursued reforms aimed at improving learning outcomes. Consequently, Rwanda’s adult literacy rate has risen to about 79 per cent, with considerably stronger literacy among younger people.
Namibia launched a national literacy programme after independence in 1992, targeting adults and out-of-school youths. Its approach combined community participation, local-language instruction and practical skills. Today, Namibia’s adult literacy rate is around 88 per cent.
Mauritius provides perhaps an even more compelling example on the continent. It made secondary education free decades ago and progressively expanded access to basic education while providing support for its citizens with learning disadvantages. Its adult literacy rate is now above 90 per cent.
Outside Africa, Vietnam and South Korea prove that sustained investment in education pays enormous dividends. Vietnam pursued universal primary education and expanded schooling into disadvantaged communities. It also mobilised teachers to reach children in remote areas. Emerging from war and poverty, South Korea treated universal education and literacy as essential to national reconstruction and economic transformation.
Nigeria must embrace the simple truth that Vietnam and South Korea understood long ago: human capital is the engine of development. Security is even a more compelling reason to tackle Nigeria’s literacy challenge. The link between education deprivation and insecurity is particularly evident in parts of Northern Nigeria. States with some of the country’s worst education profiles have also suffered devastating levels of banditry, insurgency and kidnapping.
Illiteracy does not make anyone a terrorist. But that young person out of school and lacks employable skills will feel abandoned by society. This can leave him or her more vulnerable to manipulation and recruitment by extremist groups. Terrorist organisations and criminal gangs understand this vulnerability and exploit it. This cycle must be broken.
The Federal Government’s HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) programme is welcome. But Nigerians have seen enough government programmes that look impressive on paper but produce disappointing results. Implementation is therefore critical.
Government must make literacy a fundamental national priority. Schools must be made safe, particularly in conflict-affected areas. Teachers must be properly trained and motivated. Rural communities must receive greater attention. School feeding and other social intervention programmes should be expanded in places where poverty keeps children away from classrooms.
Girls, displaced children and children living in vulnerable communities require specific support. Adult literacy must also receive great attention. Millions of Nigerians who missed formal education cannot simply be abandoned. The National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education and other relevant institutions should be strengthened and taken deeper into rural communities.
Nigeria must also tackle poverty, hunger, insecurity, displacement and gender inequality. The country’s $1 trillion economy ambition cannot be achieved by pronouncements alone. A large economy requires a large pool of educated, skilled and adaptable people.
That is why tackling the literacy crisis must be urgent and comprehensive. It is at the heart of the country’s development.
NAS has sounded the right alarm. Nigeria cannot build prosperity on mass illiteracy or defeat insecurity while abandoning millions of children to ignorance and exclusion. And it certainly cannot pursue a $1 trillion economy by 2030 without first investing in the people who will create the wealth.
