Abuja: The National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) has embarked on a significant initiative aimed at reintegrating over 500,000 out-of-school children into the educational system. This effort was marked by the commencement of a two-day training session for enumerators in Abuja, focused on utilizing automated data collection tools to address the issue of children who are out of school.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Acting Executive Secretary of NMEC, Dr. John Onimisi, emphasized that the primary goal of this exercise is to capture data concerning youths aged 15 and above who have either dropped out of school or never had the opportunity to pursue their education further. He highlighted the dual focus of the programme on both literacy and vocational training, aiming to enroll learners into non-formal learning centers and enable them to complete the program successfully. Upon completion, some learners might transition into vocational programmes.
The initiative is comprehensive, covering all 774 local government areas across the country. Dr. Onimisi noted that a total of 376 enumerators from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been onboarded, with 250 facilitators set to execute the exercise in Abuja. He explained that monitoring would be conducted in real-time via a dashboard linked to the National Identity Management System (NIMC) for effective tracking and follow-up of learners.
Dr. Onimisi pointed out that this is the first large-scale data collection effort by NMEC since the 2010 National Literacy Survey, with previous delays attributed mainly to funding constraints. The programme will be rolled out in phases, with the initial literacy cycle expected to last between six to nine months, depending on contact hours.
The initiative has garnered support from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), which Dr. Onimisi praised as evidence of the government’s renewed commitment to addressing literacy gaps in the country. Mr. Samuel Aziba, NMEC’s Director of Programmes, added that the training would equip enumerators with the skills to use digital devices for data collection, and noted that pilot testing is set to begin in four locations within the FCT ahead of the nationwide rollout.
The News Agency of Nigeria also reported that as of 2021, Nigeria had over 30 million non-literate adults, highlighting the critical need for such educational interventions.