8th September, 2017
Mrs Irene Mbanefo, president of the Reading Association of Nigeria (RAN) has called on Nigerians to support and promote literacy in the country to move the education sector forward.
Mbanefo made the call while speaking at the “2017 World Literacy Day celebration and post Pan-African Literacy for All Conference’’ media chat organised by RAN on Friday in Abuja.
“The celebration of International Literacy Day in Nigeria a week after hosting Pan-African Literacy for all Conference (PALFA) is very symbolic.
“It shows the passion and attention Nigerians pay to issues of literacy and educational development.
“May I use this opportunity to call on all and sundry in the country to support and promote literacy. Literacy is the bedrock of any meaningful development.
“The theme for the 2017 Literacy Day is “Literacy in a Digital World,’’ Mbanefo said.
She maintained that the just concluded PALFA was a huge success, adding that delegates from Brazil, Korea, UK, Slovenia Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique and other African countries actively participated.
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The RAN president lauded the Nigerian Northern Education Initiatives Plus, Federal Ministry of Education, Information and Culture, Federal Capital Territory Administration, World Bank and others for their supports to in the country.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sept. 8 was declared International Literacy Day by UNESCO on Nov. 17, 1965.
It is a day set aside to annually celebrate literacy across the world to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.
Highlight of the event was the `Read Aloud Story’ session which featured readings from two story books “Let Read Pupls Book (English)’’ for Primary II and “Mu Karanta! Jagoran Malamai (Hausa)’’for Primary I.
NAN also reports that PALFA’s conference, held between Aug. 27 and Aug. 31 in Abuja, discussed “Bi-literacy and multilingualism”, “Literacy and the Girl Child Education” and “Innovation in Literacy Instruction and Assessment”.
Others included, `Material Development, Publishing and Sustainability’, “Building Literacy Culture in Families, Schools and Communities’.”
The conference brought together education stakeholders to discuss the challenges that have bedeviled the African continent and the global community in relation to education.