Nigeria has 50 million illiterate adults

Speaking at the commissioning of school projects executed by the Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board in Yola, the minister also said 7.5 million children of school-going age in Nigeria were out of school.

“These are serious problems that require urgent attention and comprehensive appr oach by both the state and federal education authorities,” she noted.

Part of the ongoing efforts to address the problems, she said, was the move to integrate Islamic schools (madarasah) into the formal education system in the country.

According to her, a ministerial committee had already been set up to work out fo rmalities and details of ensuring such integration.

The minister said the chairmen of the Adamawa and Katsina States’ basic education boards were members of the committee, and were expected to meet with officials from 13 other states to execute the programme.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Salihu Bakari, had told the minister that over 10 billion naira (150 naira=US$ 1) had been spent in funding primary education in the state since the inception of the present administration.

He said over 100 projects had been executed, and instructional materials, motorcycles and school uniforms had been purchased and distributed by the board.

Giving details of the projects, Dr. Bakari said 104 junior secondary schools and 54 new primary schools had been constructed.

He said 53,000 pieces of furniture were procured for the schools, 389,000 textbooks purchased for pupils and 262 motorcycles bought for supervisors.

To eliminate gender disparity, he said, the state government was paying special attention to girls’ education, committing about 53 million naira to offer them free uniform in their first year of schooling to encourage enrolment.

The board had also built 14 girls’ primary schools and 17 girls’ junior secondary schools, he added.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Murtala Nyako, represented by Deputy Governor Bala Ngilari, said that the state government had paid all the counterpart funds required for primary education in the state.