Government commits to tackling illiteracy

Government commits to tackling illiteracy
Godwin Ukaa, Abuja

The administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to the provision of infrastructure, equipment and other material resources in the educational sector to enable each child develop individual skills and potentials for survival in a global competitive contemporary environment.

The Honourable Minister of State for Education, Mr. Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi showed this commitment during the presentation of 360 laptops to JSS 1 girls in six selected schools in Ebonyi State under the MDG-Assisted ICT Initiative for Girls in JSS 1 nation-wide.

The Minister said that education was regarded globally as the pivot for sustainable development, as such the present administration had placed a high premium on providing qualitative education for all Nigerian children of school age irrespective of age, gender, geographical location, cultural and religious settings.

ICT empowerment

According to him, government strongly believes that the implementation of the ICT initiative for the girls would engender the achievement of Universal Basic Education and gender equality as well as empowering them in line with vision 2020 and Millennium Development Goals.

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi, thanked the Nigerian government for the kind gesture, expressing enthusiasm that the initiative would fast-track computer literacy and acquisition of ICT-related skills among youths of Ebonyi State.  

The schools whose students benefitted from the ICT initiative include; Federal Government Girls College, Ezzamgbo;  Akpoha Technical Secondary School, Afikpo North; Junior Secondary School, Ezillo Ishielu;  Sir Francis Ibiam Grammar School, Afikpo; Model Girls Secondary School, Abakaliki, and C. S. S. Ndufu Alike,  Ikwo, all in the southern part of Nigeria.

Iheanacho