Enhancing Literacy Development in Nigeria through Reading and Writing Skills Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jep.865Keywords:
Sustainable Development, Education, Literacy Development, Writing, ReadingAbstract
Purpose: The Purpose of this paper is to draw the attention of the Government of Nigeria to the need to support the teaching of reading and writing skills in Nigerian schools for the much-needed national development.
Method and data used: The research was carried out using the library research method which furnished the relevant information on the relevance of reading and writing skills in the acquisition of literacy, which is fundamental to Nigeria’s development.
Finding: The goal of education in Nigeria is development. A kind of development that is human-centred and focused on the aptitude and achievements of an individual. Development is realised when there is a highly literate populace. However, this set objective is hampered by the growing rate of illiteracy. A UNESCO survey in 2015 reveals that 65 million Nigerians out of the 170 million Nigerians are illiterates. They can neither read nor write. The latest report from Varrella (2021) indicates that 62% of Nigerians are literate, even though not quite a good rate. Hence, a development that ought to be sustainable is threatened. The lukewarm attitude of the government in seeing that literacy gains prominence in the curriculum through reading and writing skills is dashed. With the poor literacy rate, it is appalling and a thing of grave concern for a nation that is focused on development through education to have more than half of its citizens as illiterates. Illiteracy is a clog in the wheel of sustainable educational development; it has placed the Nigerian state high on the global poverty index and exposed it to so many diseases and epidemics. Hence, illiteracy is linked to poverty.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Furthermore, the paper found low literacy rate, inadequate funding of education and lack of professional literacy education teachers in the country and it concludes by strongly recommending the promotion of reading and writing skills through access to quality education, adequate funding of education and training of specialist teachers for the needed development of the nation, and sustain its future relevance in the comity of nations.
Downloads
References
Annan, K. (2005). Literacy and sustainable development. Bangkok: UNESCO.
Ajibade, A. (2020). Education as the bedrock of development. Accessed from https://medium.com/@adebankeajibade20/education-as-the-bedrock-of-development-2175de71269c
Bakare, M. (2015). 65 million Nigerians are illiterates – UNESCO. Vanguard. Access from https://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/65-million-nigerians-are illiterates-unesco/
Burgess, K. (2018). The reading and writing connection. Accessed from: www.ldonline.org/article/6564/&sa=u&ved=2ahUKE
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2013). National policy on education (6th Ed). Lagos: NERDC.
Graham, S., & Hebert, M. A. (2010). Writing to read: Evidence for how writing can improve reading. A Carnegie Corporation time to act report. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.
Grahl, A. R. (2015). Illiteracy traps adults, and their families in poverty. Retrieved from www.rotary.org
Harrison, E. O. (2017). Literacy for national development: The Nigerian experience. Accessed from www.academia.ed/32919528
Literacy Capacity (nd). http://www.literacycapacity.org/library/cycle-resources/read-aloud/Reading%20Writing%20Connections.pdf
Hudriatul, H. (2015). Writing strategies used by the fourth semester students of English education department. http://repository.ump.ac.id/1007/3/HUDRIATUL%20CHAPTER%20II.pdf
Imam-Tamim, M. K. (2012). Challenges of sustainable development in Nigeria: Legal perspective. In M. A. Etudaiye & O. A. Olatunji (eds.), Law and sustainable development in Africa. London: Grosvenor Publishing House.
Jaenal, T. (2010). Improving students’ reading skill using group discussion on the first grade of senior high school. Jakarta: UNISRI.
K12 Reader (2018). The relationship between reading and writing. Accessed from:https://www.k12reader.com/the-relationship-between-reading-and-writing/
Komariyah, D. N. (2015). The effectiveness of Monopoly game for teaching writing descriptive text. Access from http://repository.ump.ac.id/3199/3/Bab%20II_Desi%20Nur%20Komariyah.pdf
Microtends (nd). Nigeria literacy rate 1991-2020. Accessed from https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/NGA/nigeria/literacy-rate'>Nigeria Literacy Rate 1991-2020. www.macrotrends.net.
Microtends (nd). Nigeria population 1950-2020. Accessed from https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/NGA/nigeria/population'>NigeriaPopulation 1950-2020. www.macrotrends.net.
Mike, U. (2018). Kidnapping; the fact in kidnapping: The overview, effect and solutions. Accessed from https:// owlcation.com/social science/ kidnapping-overview–causes–effects–and–solution.
Musingafi, M. C. C., & Chiwanza, K. (2012). The role of public libraries in promoting
literacy in Zimbabwe. Information and Knowledge, Management, 2(7), 52-60. Accessed from http://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/IKM/article/view/3257/3304.
Nkamnebe, E. C., & Nkamnebe, C. B. (2018). Leaving no one behind: Promoting literacy in Nigeria through inclusive library and information services. Covenant Journal of Library and Information Science, 1(1), 74-86.
Oghenekohwo, J. E., & Frank-Oputu, E. A. (2017). Literacy education and sustainable development in developing societies. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 5(2), 126-131.
Popovic, K. (2016). Literacy opens wide a door to the world but millions of adults are still locked out. An Address Delivered at the 50th Anniversary of the International Literacy Day organised by UNESCO. Accessed from http://ratenigeria-alarming-fg.
Shanahan, T. (2017). How should we combine reading and writing? Reading Rockets. Accessed from: http://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/shanahan-literacy/how-should-we-combine-reading-and-writing.
Tarigan, H. G. (2008). Reading as a language skill. Bandung: Angkasa
THISDAY (2019, 12th April). The growth of literacy in Nigeria. THISDAY. Accessed from https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/04/12/the growth-literacy-in-Nigeria/amp/
Varrella, S. (2021). Literacy rate in Nigeria 1991-2018. Statisca. Https://statistica.com.
World Data Atlas (2018). Nigeria adult literacy rate 1960 – 2019. Accessed from www. https://knoema.com/atlas/Nigeria/Adult-literacy-rate.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
