Nigeria Key To Ending Illiteracy In Africa – Room To Read

The global education organisation, Room To Read, has described Nigeria as central to efforts aimed at ending illiteracy across Africa, citing the country’s population size, linguistic diversity and improving education policies.

The regional director for Africa at Room to Read, Collins Munene, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja during a press conference marking the organisation’s 25 years of global operations.

Munene said Room to Read currently operates in 29 countries worldwide and has impacted more than 52 million children through its literacy and gender equality programmes.

He noted that Nigeria’s status as Africa’s most populous country, with over 230 million people and more than 500 languages, made it a critical intervention point for literacy development on the continent.

“Nigeria will always be a priority for us in Africa. If you make progress here, the ripple effect across the continent is significant,” Munene said.

According to him, recent education reforms and policy improvements at both federal and state levels have positioned Nigeria as a strong partner for large-scale literacy interventions.

Room to Read, which operates in seven African countries, formally began operations in Nigeria in May 2023 as part of its continental expansion strategy.

Munene disclosed that the organisation’s first major project in Nigeria focuses on storybook adaptation and distribution in indigenous languages.

He said the pilot project involves adapting 25 storybook titles and printing 50,000 copies for distribution across 126 schools in Oyo and Osun states.

The project, he explained, targets the three most widely spoken Nigerian languages—Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa—starting with Yoruba-speaking states.

Munene said plans were already in place to expand the programme to Igbo-speaking states such as Anambra and Enugu, as well as Hausa-speaking states, including Kano.

He explained that the selection of the pilot states followed an extensive feasibility study that assessed need, impact potential and availability of credible local partners.

“Our approach is evidence-based. We go where the need is greatest and where partnerships can drive scale and sustainability,” he said.

Munene added that Room to Read had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Education to strengthen collaboration at national and sub-national levels.

He said the partnership would help align Room to Read’s interventions with government policies while ensuring long-term sustainability.

Beyond literacy, Munene said the organisation also runs a gender equality portfolio focused on empowering adolescent girls with life skills to make informed decisions.

He disclosed that discussions were ongoing to pilot the girls’ education programme in Kano State, particularly to address issues such as early marriage and school dropout.

“Education for girls is not optional. It is essential to tackling poverty, inequality and social challenges,” he said.

Munene stressed that Room to Read’s philosophy was anchored on educating both boys and girls, noting that foundational literacy skills were critical to national development.

He also expressed concern over the declining reading culture among Nigerian children, attributing it partly to excessive use of social media.

According to him, rebuilding a love for reading among young people is necessary to complement formal education reforms.

“Education remains the most powerful tool for solving the world’s challenges. World change begins with educated children,” Munene said.

He reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to long-term partnership with Nigeria, adding that the ultimate goal was to build systems that would sustain literacy gains beyond direct interventions.

“Our vision is a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, and Nigeria is key to achieving that vision in Africa,” he added.