By Hillary Asemota
The Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, has rolled out strategic plans aimed at addressing the estimated 35 million Nigerians lacking formal education.
According to him, the strategies to narrow the gap is coming on the crest of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) 2021 World Literacy Day celebration with the theme: Bridging the digital Divide
Meanwhile, Dr. Camillus Ukah, the National President of ANA has inaugurated the planning committee for the association’s 40th anniversary headed by Akerele with the former National President Mallam Abdullahi Denja, Amb. Lois Adams and other distinguished Nigerians as members.
Akerele, who is currently a World Bank development expert and author will be deploying his more than 20 years of experience in banking, CSOs matters and governance on the assignment.
President Muhammadu Buhari, is expected to declare open the commemorative programme slated at Mamman Vatsa Writers’ village at Mpape, FCT, EXTRAORDINAIREPEOPLE gathered.
Briefing journalists in Abuja, on the activities lined up for the international literacy day on Wednesday, 8 of September, the ANA boss admitted that since his assumption of office in May, he has been able to expand the literary space in FCT, adding, we have been able to revolutionize the movement here in FCT, we are deepening the reading culture campaign in Abuja and concluding arrangement on the deployment of the mobile library service for the Internally displaced persons across the territory.
He added that writers and authors are excited at the N100 million earmarked as soft loans and grants made available as financial assistance not only to enhance creative writing but to also help in better quality package and marketing of their books, explaining: “Coming into ANA, I noticed that we don’t capitalize our intellectual assets, for example how do you value the price of the cost of somebody’s idea. There should be a cost allocated to somebody’s ideas before even documentation.”
He said: “We are looking at the security of our schools, we are engaging the FCT Administration on how to secure Abuja schools against bandits, insecurity in the neighbouring states.”
ANA, he added is collaborating and will not rest on oars in ensuring that the gap that existed between the town and the gown is bridged.
On carrying the military and paramilitary along, he added: “We are also extending our membership into the military and the security arms of government because we have intellectuals in the army/NPF and others in the paramilitary who have written books relevant to Nigeria’s need and development.
We need to aggregate theirs views, experience and perspective of what they feel on the fields over the years, Akerele, added.
According to him, the 2021 theme became apt viewed against the impact that characterized COVID-19, therefore UNESCO considers ICT as key in extending the frontiers of literacy and education to the underserved in a growing world of more than 7 billion persons.
At the chapter, our aim is to keep narrowing the gap of the digital divide, leveraging on technology for literary education without necessarily getting through the 4 walls of formal education to reach the underserved across communities.
According to him, UNESCO estimates that there are about 700 million people who are not formally educated across the world. To him, this is a huge challenge especially against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and poverty reduction programmes.
Akerele, said: “We need everybody to have this basic education skills, without it comes negative implication for extension of technology, trade and investment and by implication economic services to the underserved.
“This year’s international literacy day is also important for us in Nigeria because it is also estimated that there are 10.5 million children that are currently out of school and in view of the schools that have been shut down in the last one year, we therefore estimate that by the end of 2012, there will be 15 million children out of school.
“This is in addition to the already existing 20 million people who are not formally educated. When you sum these up (15 million and 20 million) we have an aggregate of 35 million individuals who are not formally educated.
“This is a huge amount and a huge number of people who are not formally educated in a 200 million population and so for us in ANA, this is a huge challenge. Part of the reasons for writing is for you to get people to read, so if there is a gap between reading and writing what then do, we do?”
The chapter is extending its hand of fellowship to our development partners: UNESCO, World Bank, Government across the three tiers and the organized private sector to reduce the literacy gap in the country.
“Most victims of literacy gap in developing countries are women. this which has wide implication on development, income levels, household, children and wellbeing of the family.
The Deputy Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Mr. Peter Akpatason, the Chair, House Committee on Basic Education, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere and Dr. Adetoye Adekola of the World Bank will be speaking on the ILD.
