The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has warned that Nigeria faces deeper poverty, social disunity, and setbacks to democracy unless urgent action is taken to raise literacy levels and equip citizens with digital skills.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at an event to mark the 2025 International Literacy Day, NOA Director-General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said literacy must be treated as a matter of national survival.
“Literacy is not just about reading and writing – it is the gateway to knowledge, innovation and meaningful participation in the democratic process. A literate Nigeria is a stronger Nigeria,” Issa-Onilu said. He stressed that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable development while large sections of its population remain excluded from knowledge and digital opportunities.
He urged state governments, parents, teachers, and community leaders to see literacy as a collective responsibility, calling for stronger public libraries and the removal of barriers to education for women, girls, and vulnerable groups.
Civil society organisations also raised concerns. The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Sahara Deck, warned of a widening digital gap in schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Its Capone, Mr. Chike Onyia, said many schools lacked the facilities to support digital learning. He also decried a trend where children from poor families resorted to street hawking during holidays instead of accessing training programmes.
“This is a dangerous trend because the global economy is moving too fast, and Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind,” Onyia said. NAS called on the FCT administration to audit schools, improve staffing and infrastructure, update curricula to reflect digital needs, and subsidise internet access.
As part of its interventions, NAS said it had launched an “Adopt a Child School Campaign,” donated computer systems to Abuja Home in Karu, and provided learning materials to boost digital awareness.
Both NOA and NAS stressed that Nigeria’s future depends on moving beyond rhetoric to real investments in literacy and digital education.
