11.5 million children out of school – Minister

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, on Monday, said a total of 11.5 million school-age children in the country were not attending any school.

Adamu, in a meeting with journalists in Abuja, noted that official estimates put Nigeria’s literate population at only 63 million.

The minister said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had put measures in place to revitalise the non-formal education sector in order to address the challenges of mass illiteracy and growing out-of-school children population.

The Director-General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Ms Irina Bokova, said the literacy day “offers a moment to review the progress and come together to tackle the challenges ahead.

Partnerships between governments, the civil society and the private sector are essential to promote literacy in a digital world.”

UCJ, UNILORIN.