08/09/2016
AS WE CELEBRATE THE INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY 2016
Today, September 8th (2016) marks the 50th anniversary of the International Literacy Day when the World Congress of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy met in Tehran in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1965. International Literacy Day is one of the very first 'days' set aside and declared by the United Nations. The day seeks to focus public opinion on the major global problem of illiteracy. Attention is given primarily to the less developed countries of the world where a great chunk of their populations lack basic reading and writing skills.
Literacy is a basic human right that should bring about personal and social development. It contributes to peace and promotes democracy through the eradication of poverty, ignorance and disease and helps in achieving gender equality and ensures sustainable development.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, is the UN body that is entrusted with the responsibility of drawing world attention to the International Literacy Day. Every year, it reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally.
According to available statistics from UNESCO as of 2011, some 793 million adults still lack minimum literacy skills, nearly two-thirds of whom are women, which means that about one in six adults is still not literate. 67.4 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.
With the current wave of Islamic extremism, insurgency, militancy and famine ravaging many parts of the world today in places like Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, Ukraine, and indeed throughout the middle east, the numbers will be more if we consider the internally displaced peoples, migrants of all shades and characters as well as refugees all over the world.
As we join the international community today to celebrate this epic event, let us take a close look at the journey so far in our beloved country, Nigeria, and ask ourselves these pertinent questions.
(1) Have we in all honesty as a nation been doing anything positive towards the eradication of illiteracy?
(2) Knowing full well that the gale of insurgency, militancy and insecurity ravaging our nation is as a result of illiteracy; as most of those recruited to perpetrate these crimes are mere cannon fodders and pawns in the hands of the political elite as a result of their gullibility; what are we doing and not doing to remedy the situation?
Since education has long been recognized as imperative for individual, social and national development, the 2016 International Literacy Day should serve to remind us that wherever we are, however much we know, there is always more to learn in order to promote literacy in all ramifications, from technical expertise, strategic policy-making, capacity-building programmes, research, monitoring and evaluation as well as advocacy.
The 2016 International Literacy Day should draw attention to the plight of millions who are unable to rise out of the depths of extreme poverty, to claim their lives and full potentials. We must as a nation consider the plight of the millions of internally displaced child in the Northeast of Nigeria as well as out-of-school children in communities sacked by the murderous, rampaging Fulani herdsmen in the plateau and lower Niger regions of the country.
As we celebrate the International Literacy Day today, 8th September 2016,I enjoin every Nigerian to take literacy seriously by ensuring that the education of those children next door are taken care of through the provision of reading and writing materials.
Book donations to the less-privileged children of our communities should be done passionately. Those old books in every closet in your mansion must be dusted and given to our children and adult who hunger for reading materials. By this act, poverty, ignorance and disease will be eradicated in not a distant time in our clime. Criminals cannot enlist an educated citizen with ease.
I call only every well-meaning individual in our society to encourage the establishment of libraries; starting from converting that LIQUOR BAR in your mansion with alcohol that corrupts the mind to BOOK BAR that enriches the intellect. I enjoin you all to pressure the governments at all levels to build libraries in our schools and recreational centers as well as in our communities as GOOD DIVIDENDS OF DEMOCRACY.
Remember the adage that says, “READERS ARE LEADERS”.
