AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN ADULT LITERACY PROGRAM IN SULEJA LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGER STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Literacy of the citizens is one of the concerns of many countries and the world at large. Literacy is the ability to read and write at a specific age. The literacy level of any country is one of the indices of its national development. Literacy is fundamental to information dissemination, socio-economic development and poverty alleviation among other things (National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 2011). Low level of literacy and education in general can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing technology driven world (Indexmundi, 2012).

Education as the whole process of the development of an independent and integrated personality, it entails training and acquisition of special skills, knowledge, attitudes and values needed by an individual to be responsible and which would enable him to contribute his own quota, to the growth of the society of which he is a member ( Jekayinfa and kolawole 2010).Education is a process whereby the adult members of a community help the young ones to learn, as Nduca (2010) stated that, education is the process of cultural transmission and renewal, it is a three- way process of inheriting a culture, changing that culture for better or worse, and passing it to the younger generation.

Therefore, the worthy development of an individual for self comfort and control to some extent is a function of education. Both developed and developing nations have acknowledged that education empowers and engages the mind for the development of human and natural resources.Hence education is an inevitable instruments that catalysis national development(Heclans 2001).

The provision of adult education, including reading, writing, numeracy skills, and  information communication technology (ICT) for adults who wish to improve their literacy and numeracy  competencies to enhance their participation in personal, social and economic life, Adult literacy programmes should be primarily focused on learning outcomes.(Heclans 2001).As observed by (Igbo 2008) adult education is an instrument for helping the active population worldwide with information communication technology (ICT), which is a decisive tool for the smooth integration of economy in the global economy. It is concerned not with preparing people for life, but rather with helping/assisting people (adults) to live more successfully as useful and acceptable members of their societies and contribute meaningfully to the development of those societies. (Fasokun 2006).Farley (2010) also put forward that people who are more educated know why they are not supposed to make prejudice comments and consequently disguise their prejudices.  However, the poor public image of adult education field as an area of study for the old people is undoubtedly partly responsible for its low patronage as a discipline in Nigerians Universities (Aruma 2011).

Adult education was defined by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), in Nzeneri (2008). As  the entire body of organized educational process, whatever the content, level and method, whether formal or otherwise, whether they prolong or  replace   initial education in schools, colleges and universities as well  as in apprenticeship, whereby persons regarded as adults by the society to which they belong, develop their abilities, enrich their knowledge, improve their technical or professional qualifications or turn them in a new direction and bring changes in their attitudes or behavior in the twofold perspective of full personal development and participation in balanced and independent social, economic and cultural development. Adult education is an aspect of basic education.  Nigeria as a developing country is concerned about the literacy level of its citizen and as such embarked on mass literacy campaign by the use of a programme known as “literacy for all” in the year 2020. (Heclans 2001). Therefore, Access to education is an important concern to nations all over the world. In Nigeria, it is observed that many sections of the population have no access to literacy education or the life skills necessary for their economic and social well-being. Nigeria has an adult literacy rate of 59.2% and adult illiteracy rate of 40.8% (UNESCO 2015). This represents about 40 million Nigerians.

Government has realized that unless aggressive measures are taken to scale up literacy, the Education for All (EFA) goals III and IV relating to learning and life-skills for all young people and 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults and youth by 2015 will not be achieved(NFE Policy Guideline 2012)). This has made the Federal Ministry of Education to launch the revitalization of youth and adult literacy programmes in March 2011 in order to help increase the literacy rate and ultimately contribute towards the achievement of EFA and Millennium Development Goals as well as the nationaldevelopment goals of empowering the people on wealth creation and economic growth.

It is against this background that this study seek to assess the role of government in adult literacy program in Suleja local government of Niger State.

1.2       Statement of the problem

Following the background given above, there is a great concern over the illiteracy rate in the world population, although 3^rd world countries have experienced increase in literacy rate over the past few decades. Illiteracy is a great hindrance to the promotion of national development.  It is not only an obstacle to the social-economic and political transformation of the country, but its eradication will also quicken the tempo of development.  Due to illiteracy many adult Nigerians, especially the populace at the grass root level, in Ilorin West Government Area seems not able to participate meaningfully in the development process of the district.

It has been proven over time that Adult Education is a major tool for eradicating illiteracy and its adverse consequences, this might have led to the consideration given to it by the National Policy on Education, but this study intends assessing level of Niger State Government towards achieving this.

2.3       Purpose of the Study

The main rationale of this study is to assess the role of government in adult literacy program in Suleja Local Government area of Niger State.

Specifically the study intends to:

1. Investigate the level of involvement of Niger State Government in adult literacy education in Suleja Local Government
2. Find out the strategies and innovations that government has put in place since the inception of adult literacy programme in Suleja Local Government.
3. Find out impact of adult literacy education on the indigenes of Suleja Local Government.

1.4       Research Questions

1. What is the level of involvement of Niger State Government in adult literacy programme in Suleja Local Government?
2. What innovation has the government initiated since the inception of adult literacy programme in Suleja Local Government?
3. What are the resultant effects of the implementation of adult literacy programmes on the adult learners in Suleja Local Government?

1.5       Scope of the Study

This study is an assessment of the role of government in Adult Literacy program in Suleja Local Government of Niger State. The population for this study is all adult literacy learners, organizers, instructors and facilitators in Suleja Local Government.

The targeted population for this study will be ten (10) adult literacy centres in Ilorin west, all the ten (10) centres were chosen and all the learners, organizers, instructors and facilitators in the centres were all chosen for this study. To elicit information from the respondents, questionnaires were administered to the respondents. The close- ended questionnaire to use comprises of two (2) sections; A and B. section A comprises of respondents demography data. Section B comprises, of questions on the impact of government on adult literacy programme.

The data collected form the respondents were quantified using descriptive statistic (frequency count and percentage) for both demographic data and to answer the research question.          

1.6       Significance of the Study

The findings of this study could be of benefit to the government, Adult education instructors, general public, adult literacy centers, Adult education unit in local governments, and adult learners.

Findings of this study will enable government to know the level of her involvement in adult literacy programme and adjust if need be. Also findings of this study will enable the instructors of adult education to insert more effort to their activities and source more from the government and other agencies for adequate material needed for the performance of their duties diligently and effectively. Findings of this studywill equally helpAdult literacy centers to make proper amendment and follow up.

More so, findings of this study willenlighten the staffs in adult education unit to be aware of the necessary things which are to be provided by the government for the recruitment and proper delivery of the classes to the adults. This finding will also benefit the adult education learners in literacy and numeracy skills associated with higher earnings, improved workplace productivity, better workplace safety and increased chances of stable employment.  The skills support success in higher level qualifications and attainment of other workplace skills; and provide adult learners with social benefits such as: improved personal well-being, social development of individuals, communities, better health and better parenting.  

1.7       Operational definitions of terms

• Adult: a grown up person, who has attained full maturity and is fully developed.
• Illiterate:an uneducated person, who lacks the ability to read or write.
• Literate: An educated person with competence in reading and writing also in counting and ability to do simple calculations.
• Adult education: This refers to the general enlightenment programme that is put together to develop the adults or matured citizens of the society.