Nigeria Expands Adult Education to Combat Illiteracy

On Friday, in Abuja, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced a renewed initiative to tackle illiteracy through expanded adult and non-formal education programs, as disclosed by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad. This announcement coincided with the 2026 International Literacy Day, themed “Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity.” The government plans to enhance infrastructure for adult education, establish a new National Centre for Adult Education, and provide a permanent headquarters for the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education.

Community learning centers will be activated, with commission staff serving as instructors in areas lacking conventional education access. Ahmad emphasized the need for stakeholder participation to address the scale of youth and adult illiteracy.

She expressed optimism regarding Nigeria's progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4, which promotes quality education, and assured that rural communities would benefit from government programs involving digital technology and artificial intelligence in teacher training.