The Federal Government has unveiled a renewed strategy to tackle illiteracy by expanding access to adult and non-formal education for Nigerians who were unable to access or complete formal schooling.

Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, disclosed this in Abuja during a ministerial briefing to commemorate the 2026 International Literacy Day, themed “Literacy for People, the Planet and Prosperity.”

Ahmad said the government was strengthening the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) and expanding its reach through community-based learning centres across the country.

She said the centres would provide flexible learning opportunities for young people and adults who had been excluded from conventional education, particularly in communities where access to schools remained limited.

According to the minister, NMEC staff would be deployed as instructors in the community learning centres as part of efforts to make literacy education more accessible and sustainable.

She also announced plans for the establishment of a new National Centre for Adult Education as well as the development of a permanent headquarters for NMEC.

Ahmad said the Federal Government had also restored the institutional and academic autonomy of NMEC, describing the development as a major step towards strengthening the commission’s capacity to deliver on its mandate.

“A major milestone in this effort is the full restoration of academic autonomy, a critical step for a healthy plan for education,” she said.

The minister stressed that the fight against illiteracy could not be left to government alone, urging development partners, communities, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to play a more active role.

She further assured that rural communities would be integrated into the government’s digital education initiatives, including the deployment of artificial intelligence and technology in teacher training.

“We are ensuring that both rural and urban teachers, because of your location, are not at a disadvantage,” Ahmad said.

She expressed confidence that Nigeria was making progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4, which promotes inclusive and quality education, noting that the goal goes beyond adult literacy to encompass education generally.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Executive Secretary of NMEC, Prof. Dahiru Muhammad Shuni, raised concerns over the absence of current data on the country’s literacy situation.

Shuni said the available national literacy data dated back to 2010, describing the situation as unacceptable.

He said efforts were underway to obtain accurate and up-to-date data that would determine the actual number of Nigerians affected by illiteracy and guide future interventions.

Also speaking, Head of Education Sector at the UNESCO Abuja office, Mr Oladeji Adeyemi, said global literacy had improved significantly over the past decade, with more than 88 per cent of the world’s population now able to read and write, compared with about 65 per cent previously.

Adeyemi, however, noted that millions of people globally remained affected by illiteracy.

He reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria and other member states in using literacy and education as tools for sustainable development.

He cited UNESCO-supported programmes in Kano State as an example of how mass education initiatives could be expanded beyond basic reading, writing and numeracy to include health, well-being and family-life education.

The Federal Government said the renewed approach would ultimately strengthen lifelong learning and create more inclusive pathways for Nigerians who remain outside the formal education system.