How LLEM Is Solving the Literacy Crisis

There are many intellectually advanced and creative minds in Nigeria; however, it is still alarming to learn that according to a recent survey undertaken by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a staggering 90 million individuals in Nigeria are functionally illiterate. Children in Nigeria face numerous obstacles in their pursuit of a good education. At LLEM, we know that letting them fail is not an option, and we are doing everything in our power to meet their educational needs.

Nigerians face illiteracy for many reasons.

  1. Sometimes the problem is that their families cannot afford to enroll them in a good school. Consequently, Nigeria has been dubbed as the country with the most significant number of “out-of-school children” worldwide. This is devastating because Nigeria is not a poor country per se. It just has huge wealth disparities.          
  1. Cultural beliefs and practices also play a substantial role in keeping people illiterate. For instance, in the northern part of Nigeria, priority is given to male children. It is believed that female children will eventually get married and won’t need an education, so they do not really need to attend school. Despite free primary education in many states across the country, the number of Nigeria’s out-of-school children still stands above 10.5 million.

Finding a Solution

The solution to this menace is educating Nigerian parents and helping them realize why school participation is essential. However, because many parents themselves are illiterate, they often do fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. When a parent is not educated either, they are unlikely to be interested in educating their children.

Fortunately, every problem has a corresponding solution. But is Nigeria ready to tackle this critical problem? LLEM says yes, and this is where we can help. We step in and reinforce the importance of having children attend school. Since the government cannot fulfill this responsibility, our organization must do it.

LLEM is positioned to help improve the nation’s illiteracy rate:

  1. LLEM supplies outreach and sensitization in the rural areas that are the most affected by illiteracy. Sometimes what these people need is reorientation on the importance of education. There has to be a mindset shift for anything to work, especially in these areas.
  2. LLEM provides availability and accessibility of books and reading materials. As they say, “Readers are leaders.” We cannot eradicate illiteracy if there are no resources. LLEM provides our school with myriad resources in order for young readers to thrive.

At LLEM International, we are dedicated to providing outreach activities to these vulnerable rural communities. We provide them with educational materials, food, and other basic living amenities. At LLEM International, we believe that children’s minds must be nourished so they can flourish. We therefore encourage partnerships and donations. If you would like to partner with us to improve community literacy, please reach out to us.

Every Nigerian child deserves the best!