Tinubu’ll Tackle Out-Of-School Children Menace – Education Minister

• Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, emphasizes President Tinubu’s commitment to addressing out-of-school children and adult illiteracy
• The latest figure for out-of-school children in Nigeria is reported to be 10.5 million, according to the minister

As Nigeria marked the 2023 International Literacy Day, the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, said Friday that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration was committed to addressing the issue of out-of-school children, adding that he does not want any Nigerian to remain illiterate.

Prof Mamman stated this in Abuja at an event commemorating World Literacy Day with the theme “Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies, “noting that the challenges of adult illiteracy and out-of-school children are among the top eight priorities they drew and put through at the most recent executive meeting.

He described the out-of-school issue as a disease that will not be tolerated.

We have the directives from Mr President and we have our own personal resolve to address this matter and, in the weeks ahead, we will be engaging the public on the measures and platforms to address them. We will not allow any obstacle in our way in achieving the goal, he said.

In response to the issue of conflicting data, the minister stated that the latest figure for out-of-school children in the country is 10.5 million.

Prof Simon Akpama, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC), stated that this year’s International Literacy Day provides another ample opportunity for them to sincerely reconsider the fundamental role literacy plays in promoting peace, societal stability, social and economic reconstruction, and development.

Since 1967, UNESCO has observed International Literacy Day to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of human rights and dignity and advance the literacy agenda toward a more literate and sustainable society.