Mass literacy will enhance economy, business– Educationist

The Founder, Africa Back2Basics Educational Initiative, Mr Olusoji Adeniyi, has said that when adults are educated, the economy of the country would improve.

Adeniyi said this at the Kwara Education Future Summit, themed “Securing and Investing in the Next Generation”, on Thursday in Ilorin.

He said gender was an issue in the education sector in most Northern states of the country, while expressing dissatisfaction at the level of adult literacy in Kwara.

According to Adeniyi, there was need for more to be done in the area of mass literacy.

He said there was need for more qualified teachers in junior and senior secondary schools to ensure better results in the West African Examinstion Council (WAEC).

“Kwara is in a very good position when it comes to education. The number of basic education institutions and higher educational institutions is one of the highest in the North Central Nigeria.

“We need more teachers in Junior Secondary Schools judging by the percentage of schools in the state.

“In the WAEC ranking and performance between 2016 and 2018, Kwara ranked 13th, 12th and 18th. There is need for hard work to ensure the results get better.

“More work needs to be done in the area of mass literacy, when adults are educated and trained, they become more reliant, they can train more children and increase business production.

“The moment we get our adults educated, the economy of the state will respond because they are in the markets and the trade sector,” he said.

Adeniyi commended Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara for the increase in education budget from 12 percent to 25 percent and also suggested that for all citizens from primary to tertiary institution to have access to free and quality education, the state needed resources and platforms which provides learners for the world of work by introducing them to work place competencies using technology