The government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to achieving EFA goal 4 and the MDGs. For this reason with the technical support of UNESCO and other partners it is implementing this new strategy.
Priority Groups
The ultimate beneficiaries will be those who have not been reached, marginalized and/or excluded by the education system, mainly young girls and women and out-of-school children, and vulnerable populations and groups who have suffered from decades of prejudice, marginalization, discrimination and even exclusion, particularly in urban slums and rural areas.
The most immediate beneficiaries will be the policy makers, adult literacy planners, programme managers, curriculum developers, facilitators and those responsible for quality assurance at federal and state levels. Their skills and capabilities will be enhanced through a wide range of capacity development interventions in the areas of policy formulation, programme design, management and delivery, quality assurance, resource mobilization, and partnerships building.
Goals and Objectives
The developmental goal of the project is to accelerate and underpin the national efforts to achieve EFA goals, in particular goal 3, 4 and 5 and ultimately contribute to the achievement of the national development goals of empowerment of people, wealth creation and economic growth. The main objective is to strengthen the national capacity for designing, delivering, and evaluating and monitoring quality literacy programmes by focusing on the following strategic areas of action: policy review and analysis, advocacy and communication, addressing the persistent gaps in capacity, innovations and good practices, and effective partnership in support of literacy.
Strategic Objectives
In order to realize the vision and attain the goals and objectives of the project, the latter focuses on eight (8) strategic priority areas as follows:
- Improve program delivery;
- Develop a non-formal pathway to provide learning opportunities for out-of-school children and youth;
- Capacities of institutions in charge of the training trainers and facilitators are enhanced in the areas of facilitators' training, curriculum design and development, program delivery, monitoring and evaluation, action research, and learning from effective practices;
- Post Literacy Policy clearly formulated and mechanism developed for enriching Literate Environment (books, digital, newspaper, etc.);
- Create multi-sectoral committees for literacy and NFE at Federal, State, and LGA Levels;
- Strengthened policy dialogue for more support to Literacy and Non-Formal Education (LNFE);
- Institute a sustainable Monitoring and Evaluation system including literacy assessment; and
- Support action research on local issues and concerns.
Strategic Priorities
The strategic priorities with detailed activities expected, risks, and assumptions are presented in the following sections below:
Strategic Priority 1: Improvement of the Delivery of Youth and Adult Literacy and Non-Formal Education Programme
Objective
Improved program delivery by addressing elements such as teaching-learning materials, facilitators, record keeping, and management structures enable youth and adults to acquire quality basic literacy skills.
Activities
The project will focus on:
- Improving program quality through the integration of gender-responsive approaches to youth and adult literacy program design, implementation and monitoring, and evaluation;
- Enhancing the pedagogical and managerial capacities of literacy facilitators;
- Providing multi-lingual learning and teaching materials including primers, textbooks, and facilitators guide for reading for pleasure and post-literacy;
- Developing and producing audio-visual learning materials;
- Training literacy personnel and facilitators for effective and efficient management, record keeping, and documentation to ensure accountability and monitoring;
- Establishing a local level center-based management committee (CBMC) to ensure quality literacy programs' efficiency and effectiveness.
Risks and Assumptions
- Political commitments
- Timely release of funds
- Inadequate number of facilitators
Expected Results
Program delivery improved to make 4-5 million adults and youth have acquired basic literacy skills by 2015
Strategic Priority 2: Development of a Non-Formal Pathway to Provide Learning Opportunities for Out-of-School Children, Youth and Adults.
Objective
Provide learning opportunities for out-of-school children and youth through non-formal pathways with equivalency and certification arrangements to permit articulation between formal and non-formal systems.
Activities
The project will focus on:
- Conducting strong advocacy and communication campaigns to mobilize the support of political and opinion leaders as well as various funding agencies;
- Sensitizing and carrying out public enlightenment of target communities;
- Developing an effective system of equivalence and certification for literacy and NFE in recognition of the competencies acquired in NFE;
- Developing graded modular competency-based education pathway starting with basic education module to technical/vocational module;
- Linking learners with the mentors/facilitators;
- Establishing learning centers for out-of-school children, youth, and adults;
- Promoting distance learning for adults and youths;
- Developing and producing audio-visual learning materials.
Risks and Assumptions
- Political will
- Availability of credible data
Expected Result
Non-formal pathways developed to provide opportunities to out-of-school children, youth, and adults
Strategic Priority 3: Enhancement of the Pedagogical/Andragogical and Management Capacities of Adult and Non-Formal Education Training Institutions
Objectives
Enhance the capacities of institutions in charge of the training trainers and facilitators in facilitator training, curriculum design and development, program delivery, Monitoring and Evaluation, action research, and learning from effective practices.
Activities
The project will focus on:
- Undertaking situation analysis of existing literacy facilities, interventions, and practices;
- Conducting a comprehensive assessment of the literacy situation and levels of literacy in the country using the new Literacy Assessment and Monitoring Programme (LAMP) recently developed and piloted by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS);
- Mapping the geography and locations of the illiterate adult population in Nigeria;
- Conducting a detailed survey of the learning needs of diverse priority groups, especially girls and women, out-of-school youth, marginalized groups and isolated rural communities;
- Mapping and mobilizing existing public and private educational facilities, students and teaching personnel as well as retired teachers to participate in a manner that does not disrupt their routine academic program;
- Identifying and deploying appropriate ICTs to develop ICT-assisted functional literacy to expand access and improve quality;
- Establishing a comprehensive and integrated Management Information System for literacy and NFE at federal and state levels;
- Training adequate evaluation and monitoring personnel at federal, zonal, and state levels;
- Developing, in collaboration with universities and teacher training institutions, training modules and teachers guidelines for professional literacy teachers;
- Developing a monitoring and evaluation manual for adult literacy;
- Recruiting and training literacy educators
Risks and Assumptions
- Adequate funding
- Political commitment
- Availability of experts
Expected result
Capacities of institutions in charge of the training trainers and facilitators are enhanced in facilitator training, curriculum design and development, program delivery, Monitoring and Evaluation, action research, and learning from effective practices.
Strategic Priority 4: Formulation of Post Literacy Policy and Development of Mechanisms for Enriching the Literate Environments
Objective
Develop structures and mechanisms to enrich the literate environment
Activities
The project will focus on:
- Conducting a baseline survey to determine learners mainstreaming from basic to post literacy;
- Sensitizing stakeholders on the need to implement post-literacy policy;
- Developing a literate environment strategy for post-literacy training;
- Training facilitators/teachers for adult and youth literacy;
- Establishing more literacy centers, with E-learning facilities and mobile libraries (for homes, schools, and community use);
- Producing and distributing more post-literacy materials;
- Supporting the Establishment of more skill acquisition centers;
- Encouraging the optimal utilization of existing educational and other skills acquisition facilities;
Risks and Assumptions
- Community involvement
- Political commitment
- Adequate funding
Expected Result
Post Literacy Policy clearly formulated and mechanism developed for enriching Literate Environment (books, digital, newspaper, etc.)
Strategic Priority 5: Creation of Multi-Sectoral Committees for Literacy and NFE at Federal, State, and Local Government (LG) Levels.
Objective
Mobilize all segments/actors in the country at all levels of government, as well as CSOs, the organized private sector, and international development partners to contribute to the provision of quality literacy and NFE programs.
Activities
The project will focus on:
- Mapping all the partners actively working in adult literacy NFE in Nigeria primary to identify and assess their roles and capacities as well as areas where they have a competitive edge.
- Encouraging communities to establish their own literacy centers by developing and disseminating a handbook on creating and managing community learning centers.
- Establishing an effective and inclusive literacy network in Nigeria
- Strengthening the mobilization and coordination of international development partners in Nigeria in support of literacy and NFE.
- Encouraging south-south cooperation within the context of UNLD, particularly with regard to sharing information and knowledge on innovations and best practices in literacy through research, study visits, etc.
- Developing stronger cooperation and greater synergy among UN agencies within the contexts of EFA, UNLD, and UNDAF through joint advocacy and effective program coordination.
- Engaging the business community/private sector, the Media (TV and mobile companies in particular), philanthropic organizations, foundations, faith-based organizations, etc, to organize an annual fundraising event that will also serve as an annual advocacy event.
Risk and Assumptions
- Effective inter-sectoral collaboration and cooperation
- Adequate funding
- Adequate articulation of international development support and interventions
Expected Result
Multi-sectoral committees involving government, CSOS, IDPS created for quality literacy and NFE at Federal, State, and LGA levels.
Strategic Priority 6: Strengthening Policy Dialogue for Effective and Sustained Support for Literacy and Non-Formal Education (LNFE)
Objective
Utilize evidence-based advocacy to increase support for literacy and non-formal education
Activities
The project will focus on:
- Conducting action research and generating information in support of literacy
- Undertaking stakeholders' dialogue at the local, state, and national levels
- Undertaking evidence-based advocacy and sensitization campaigns
Risks and Assumptions
- Political commitment
- Effective inter-sectoral collaboration and cooperation
- Adequate funding
- Adequate funding
- All stakeholders buy-in
Expected Result
Literacy and non-formal education enjoy increased support
Strategic Priority 7: Institutionalization of a Quality Assurance System
Objective
Strengthen the Non-Formal EMIS for enhanced performance of the sub-sector.
Activities
The project will focus on:
- Conducting a situation analysis of the current information management system in adult and youth literacy/mass literacy.
- Conducting routine Monitoring and Evaluation in collaboration with the Federal Inspectorate Services, CSOs, State Offices, Facilitators, Participants, Centre Based Management Committees, and other stakeholders.
- Carrying out monthly, quarterly, midterm, and yearly evaluations of program implementation
- Conducting participatory mid-term and final evaluation
- Carrying out a literacy survey based on the same methodology as the National Literacy Survey (NLS) 2010 with additional variables and analysis of impact.
Risks and Assumptions
- Adequate funding
- Availability of quality data
- Adequate expertise
Expected Result
A sustained quality assurance mechanism is developed and implemented
Strategic Priority 8: Review Literacy NFE Policy to make it more inclusive and responsive
Activities
The project will focus on:
- Conducting research and needs assessment on youth, adult literacy, and non-formal education issues related to local, national, and global communities.
- Revising the law establishing National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education.
- Developing policy briefs, and policy dialogue kits on best practices.
- Advocating for a sustained and direct grants from UBE and SUBEBs funds as well as support from MDGs funds to ensure that Nigeria attains EFA goals 3, 4, and MDG 2 and 3 by 2015
- Advocating for a sustained budgetary allocation of at least 3 percent of the national education budget to youth and adult literacy and NFE to ensure the prevention of relapse into illiteracy and maintenance of a literacy society.
Risks and Assumptions
- Political will and commitment
- Adequate articulation of international development support and interventions
- Available of experts
Expected Result
An inclusive and responsive literacy, youth, and NFE policy is developed.
Governance: Institutional Arrangement (Federal, State, And Local Government Levels)
The institutional arrangements for the implementation of the project are detailed below stipulating roles and responsibilities to the different levels of government and to UNESCO
Federal Government
The roles and responsibilities of the Federal Government include:
- Funding by the Federal Government for the implementation of the program by UNESCO in the form of a self-benefiting Fund-in-Trust in the amount of USD6,468,233.
- Facilitating the establishment and operationalization of the Ambassadors for Adult Literacy and NFE to be chaired by a high-level national leader.
- Facilitating and coordinating the active participation of State and Local Government in all literacy efforts in the country.
- Enhancing the professional capacity of NMEC through the secondment of qualified and experienced staff from universities and other relevant institutions for the duration of the program.
- Mobilization of the National Teachers Institute (NTI) and National Centre for Non-Formal Education, Kano for training literacy teachers and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for data collection and management.
- Developing national operational guidelines in close collaboration with civil society organizations, private providers, and international partners.
State Government
The roles and responsibilities of the State Government include:
- Establishing/Rehabilitating and Operationalizing State Resource Centres (SRC) for Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning in at least one in each State.
- Enhancing the professional capacity of State Agencies of Mass Education (SAME) through the secondment of qualified and experienced staff from universities and other relevant institutions for the duration of the program.
- Recruiting and adequately remunerating literacy teachers.
- Mobilizing public education facilities/resources and information and media outlets in support of advocacy and program implementation.
- Setting standards for effective service delivery
- Creating access by setting up centers (classes) and providing teaching materials and learning materials.
- Ensuring quality and collaboration with stakeholders.
- Ensuring adequate application of governing laws, rules, and regulations for uniformity and quality service delivery.
- Promote innovative programs, methods, and curricula that take into account community languages and cultures as well as skill development needs.
- Mobilize all stakeholders for support.
Local Governments
The roles and responsibilities of the local government include:
- Recruiting facilitators in line with minimum benchmark and set targets for them
- Paying facilitators allowance
- Ensuring effective management of the centers
- Providing and distributing materials and equipment to centers
- Ensuring sensitization of the target groups
- Mobilize active participation of the community to establish more literacy centers
- Enrolment drive gender issues peculiar to the Local Government
The Role of UNESCO
As the UNs specialized agency for education and the global coordinator of EFA and the United National Literacy Decade (UNLD 2003 2012), UNESCO has been at the forefront of international and national efforts aimed at achieving the goals and targets outlined in the Dakar Framework for action, the MDGs, and the UNLD. This has enabled UNESCO to accumulate a huge reservoir of expertise, knowledge, experience, and practices over the decade. UNESCO will, therefore, mobilize and effectively deploy its invaluable expertise to support Nigerias renewed efforts in and commitment to literacy. More specifically, UNESCO will provide support in the following areas within the framework of UNLD and LIFE and in line with Nigerias renewed efforts in and commitment to literacy.
- Provision of technical support at all phases and all aspects of the proposed program. Specifically, provision of technical support for identifying and addressing the capacity gaps in:
- Gender-sensitive policy, planning, and management
- Program design and delivery
- Human resource development
- Data and information management system
- Quality assurance through effective assessment, monitoring and evaluation
- promotion of multilingual literacy
- Mobilization of stronger and sustainable support to literacy through an effective advocacy and communication strategy.