Bishop Eze Okafor, Catholic Bishop of Awka (left) and Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Vice President for Africa, World Bank at a grand reception held for late Prof. Chinua Achebe.
Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education and Vice President of the World Bank, African Region has revealed through her study that about 56 million Nigerians are still illiterate and cannot read and write.
The former Minister made this revelation on Tuesday at the 3rd Lagos State Education Summit at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The summit has the theme: Qualitative Education in Lagos State: Raising the Standard.
She noted that the level of illiteracy has also affected the standard of education in the country.
According to Dr. Ezekwesili, “Nigeria “accounts for 6 million of 36 million school girls that cannot access primary education worldwide. There are about 56 million illiterates in Nigeria. Primary school completion rate ranges between two per cent to 92 per cent, depending on the state.”
She emphasised that the issue of bureaucracy was a major hindrance to raising the standard of education in the country, while lamenting the overwhelming power of the education minister with respect to decision-making at the unity schools, which she said, was the practice before her appointment.
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