Illiterate Nigerians Risk Being Left Behind: Part One

Nigeria’s economy is over-reliant on oil revenues and skilled foreign workers. Huge wealth is divided among a tiny proportion of Africa’s second largest economy while poorly educated masses live in abject poverty. Illiteracy is shackling the potential of millions of hard-working and capable Nigerians as they struggle for social and economic survival.

As the world enters the computer age and employers seek literate employees, reading has become a critical life skill. Booker Prize-winning author, Kazuo Ishiguro, recently said: “Poor literacy undermines everything: self-worth, social cohesion, great natural talent.” The 100-Book Challenge was launched last month encouraging young people to read for pleasure; in the hope to improve literacy. In an attempt to tackle illiteracy in Nigeria, initiatives are revealing issues preventing a reading culture from being nurtured. In a modern world entirely dependent on literacy skills, what are the issues and what can be done to limit their damage?

Nigeria

Increasing the access to the written word is a crucial factor in tackling illiteracy especially in Nigeria where the majority of its 150 million people don’t have access to books. The 100-Book Challenge, “began as a result of visiting schools and talking to children and listening to their yearning,” said Coordinator, Dr Fatima Akilu, “Nigerian children want to read but there are no books that are easily accessible to them.”

The lack of access to books is only part of the problem. Parents, who are in a position to provide books and read to their children, simply don’t. In a society where nannies and drivers often act as primary carers, parents have taken a back seat. “Parental involvement in encouraging reading is key. Children whose families read for pleasure are more likely to take it for granted that reading is a worthwhile activity,” says National Literacy Trust, UK. Excuses such as ‘time constraints’ often mask laziness and a lack of effort. Fostering the love of reading early in development regardless of ethnic background, family income or level of parental education can dramatically impact a child’s development. Families need to realise their contribution is vital, both in terms of providing reading material, and reading with children after school.

For developing countries like Nigeria, female literacy is seen as key to raising living standards for the next generation. For example, a new-born child is far likelier to survive if its mother is well educated. However, in some northern states less than 5% of women can read and write. Literacy rates in the north-east are two-thirds lower than in Lagos. Promoting a love of reading and improving literacy skills is a key first step in beginning to address and help overcome other related factors that lock individuals into a cycle of disadvantage. Improvements in literacy, through initiatives such as the 100 Book Challenge, ‘Bring Back the Book’ campaign and RAW, could have a profound effect on communities in Nigeria.

A Global Challenge

Nigeria can learn from lessons still being learned elsewhere. A volunteer-based campaign has just been launched in the UK to tackle the literacy crisis gripping its capital with one in three children who do not own a book and one million working adults unable to read. A campaign led by the Evening Standard will make a dramatic impact on illiteracy in the British capital.  Its success is not without the generous publicity, endorsement from public figures and most importantly, the British government. Illiteracy continues to constrain countries in both the developed and developing world, limiting the opportunities for people to escape poverty. Illiteracy is a global challenge.

Without a collective effort from the initiatives promoting literacy and most importantly, the Nigerian government, illiteracy will continue to blight Africa’s most populous nation, preventing progress. Increasing the access to books through establishing mobile libraries, training librarians, widespread volunteering programmes where people can mentor children in reading as well as investment in reading programmes in schools, are just some of the ways Nigeria can tackle illiteracy effectively.

However, for initiatives such as ‘Bring Back the Book’ and the 100 Book Challenge to make a widespread impact, they must engage the imagination of individuals across the literacy spectrum.

Students donate funds towards helping schools without books and resources

Reproduced from 'The Nation':

Students donate reading materials to schools

By Gbenga Omokhunu and Olugbenga Adanikin 29/06/2011 00:00:00
As part of efforts to promote reading and writing culture among students in Nigeria, pupils of the Hillside School have donated the sum of N25, 000 to provide books and educational materials to public schools in the Federal Capital Territory.
The grant was presented after launch of a 100 Book Challenge Scheme at the school. Coordinator of the Reading Aid Writing (RAW) Initiative, Ms. Gillian Parker disclosed that the programmewa was aimed at promoting an effective reading and writing culture among students.
Parker, who acknowledged the grant, noted that the donation would be used to provide books for public schools that lack educational resources.
Speaking on why Hillside School joined the campaign, the proprietor of the school, Catherine Rotello said that continuous reading promotes good knowledge and makes a student a better person to self and the society. She regretted that people have failed to identify reading culture as an index capable of transforming the country’s dilapidating education sector.
Rotello, who described Nigerian reading culture as bad, noted that there is need to advocate more on the significance of reading and make books available for pupils, particularly those in public schools who could not afford to own a library.
She said: "Nigeria, generally, is not into reading and that is a very sad thing. I like my school to be richly involved with reading more because the more you read the more knowledgeable you become. Aside that it makes you better student. I will like all the pupils to go to the university someday, make a better world and promote education in the country. Nigeria is like a diamond that needs to be polished in terms of education."
She however traced most pupils’ poor reading culture to the fact that students prefer to play more of video games and watch television to spending more time to study.
The Chairman, Editorial Board of Leadership Newspapers, Dr. Fatima Akilu who harped on the need to improve reading culture in the country lamented that the educational standard has reduced drastically.
Dr. Akilu said government has failed in its duty to integrate the education sector by providing public libraries, infrastructure and other educational resources particularly in public schools to make learning easier. "It is not only reading that has declined in Nigeria but the education sector. Libraries have collapsed and children don’t even have access to books. There are no public libraries and bookshops like before. In fact, unavailability of books has contributed adversely to the poor reading culture. So, government has roles to play.
"We were worried that this generation of Nigerian children was not reading any more. In a household where both parents are working and there is no time for interaction, kids at home are glued to the television instead of reading. We want to reverse the trend and get kids reading again. I believe that there is no great nation that does not have readers; all great nations start with great readers," she said.
Dr. Akilu noted that the scheme is aimed to promote reading culture among pupils as well as encourage pupils to read minimum of 100 books in a year.
While reading eight of her children’s books to the pupils, Dr. Akilu disclosed that each book was aimed at teaching pupils about each of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The goals includes: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women.
Others are reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership.
Akilu said: "It is necessary to write books that identify pupils with their culture because they make them imagine and apply knowledge acquired to everyday activity in their environments, particularly in schools."
She however urged indigenous authors to make their books accessible.