The continued categorisation of Nigeria among countries with the highest prevalence of illiteracy in the world should help to bring the crisis in the countrys education sector into sharper focus. According to statistics from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, out of 800 million confirmed illiterates worldwide, 535 million reside in nine countries, including Nigeria. The other members of the group, referred to as E-9 countries, are Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan. This group of countries has the largest population in the world and also boasts the largest number of illiterate adults.Certainly, Nigeria is not a new entrant to the E-9 group; but while other members have recorded significant progress in the drive towards literacy, there has been very little to cheer from Nigeria. China, for instance, has reportedly cut its non-literate population by more than half, from 142 million to 67 million between 2000 and 2010. In a recent appraisal of the countrys performance in the Education for All goals, Nigerias Minister of State for Education, Ezenwo Wike, put the countrys adult literacy rate at 56.9 per cent. Statistics gleaned from monitoring the Millennium Development Goals however show that 71.8 per cent of Nigerian children between ages 15 and 24 cannot read and write.The figures are even more startling when the educational status of Nigerians is considered along geo-political zones and states. A report by the Nigerian Educational Data Survey 2010 presented in May by the National Population Commission shows that the North-Western and North-Eastern zones of the country have the highest percentage of children who have never attended school and, as such, can neither read nor write. While Borno State has 72 per cent of children within the age bracket of six and 16 who never attended school, the report puts those of Yobe and Bauchi states at 58 per cent and 52 per cent respectively. Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states in the North-West have 68 per cent, 66 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively, of children who have never experienced formal education.In the South, however, there is a sharp difference in attitude towards education. In the southern states, less than three per cent of children between the ages of six and 16 are out of school. For instance, while Ebonyi, Oyo and Ogun states have 10 per cent, eight per cent and six per cent respectively, Lagos and Enugu have two per cent each and Abia just one per cent. The same trend is also noticed in the numeracy skills, where the rate of numerate Nigerians is far higher in the South than in the North, according to the NEDS report.In a world that is essentially knowledge-driven, the imperative of a well-educated population cannot be overemphasised. The World FactBook, a publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America, says low levels of literacy could impede economic development of a country in the current rapidly-changing, technology-driven world. It is believed that there is a correlation between high level of literacy and economic prosperity. According to figures from UNESCO, countries with literacy rate ranging from 55 per cent to 84 per cent have average per capita income of about $2,400, while those within the range of 85 per cent and 95 per cent have $3,700, and those above 95 per cent have per capita income of $12, 600.A high rate of illiteracy also has frightening implications because of its likely effect on poverty, health, life expectancy and other human development indicators. UNICEF explains that illiterate people live in more desperate poverty and poorer health.For instance, an enlightened population would know that a pregnant woman must have adequate antenatal care till she is delivered of her baby. This will ultimately lead to a reduction in Nigerias current high infant and maternal mortality rates, estimated as the second highest in the world. Basic education will also ensure that preventable diseases are kept at bay through the cultivation of basic hygienic habits and patronage of standard hospitals instead of reliance on quacks.It is not as if Nigeria has not made efforts to educate its populace. The Universal Basic Education law of 1999 guarantees every Nigerian child free and compulsory education for the first nine years of the childs schooling life, amounting to six years of primary education and three years of Junior Secondary School education. Unfortunately, many parents, especially in the Northern states, are not taking advantage of the law to ensure mass enrolment of children in schools. As at 2006, only 22 per cent of the over 10.5 million eligible children in Nigeria between ages 12 and 14 were enrolled in Junior Secondary Schools, according to UNICEF. It is also estimated that 30 per cent of pupils drop out of schools while only 54 per cent transit from primary to Junior Secondary School.This is therefore a challenge to the Northern leaders to enforce free, compulsory primary and secondary education. The Federal Government has done much, including taking over the payment of teachers salaries. The state and local governments should also do their bit. The value placed on education should be high enough to encourage people to send their children to school. For instance, the economy must be improved so that those who leave school can be gainfully employed. If the number of unemployed persons continues to mushroom, it will certainly discourage others from seeking education.
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