Edith CHUKU
Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering the people of the region to become self-reliant and better prepared for sustainable livelihoods.
NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, made this emphasis during the World Literacy Day celebration in Port Harcourt, with the assurance that the Commission would continue to invest in education, including building hostels, school facilities and equipment for educational institutions in the region.
Stressing on the importance of empowering people in the region, Ogbuku who was represented by the Director of Education, Dr Awele Chukwudifu, emphasised that education and literacy would equip people in the region to contribute to the economic growth of the Niger Delta Region.
He assured that the Commission would continue to sponsor foreign and local postgraduate scholarship programmes to ensure people in the region advance in their academic journey.
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer stated that education opens doors to various opportunities, especially digital literacy.
A facilitator from the Department of Business Administration, University of Lagos, Dr Adesina Osho, who spoke on ‘The role of literacy in National Development’, observed that digital literacy has improved human activities and made information readily available.
He emphasised the need to educate communities across the Niger Delta region on the importance of literacy in development.
Osho stressed the need for digital entrepreneurship, saying that digital skills open opportunities in that area and maintained that literacy supports economic development, social activities, civic responsibilities, among others.
He urged tertiary institutions to establish centres for continuing education, where adults could enrol in part-time educational programmes.
Dr Osho also called on faith-based organisations, NGOs, and communities to support literacy through programmes and scholarships as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The facilitator, who asserted that education begins at home, asked parents to create a reading culture in their homes, encourage curiosity among children, provide access to books and educational materials, and share opportunities with other parents.
In his presentation, the Director, Academic Planning Unit, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Professor Joseph Kinanee, identified dimensions of literacy to include traditional literacy, environmental literacy, Numeracy, cultural literacy, critical literacy, functional literacy, media cum information literacy, financial literacy, digital literacy and Artificial intelligence (AI) literacy.
Speaking on the theme, which centred on ‘Literacy for People, the Planet and Prosperity’, Professor Kinanee noted that literacy should be all-inclusive, targeting every person regardless of gender.
He said environmental literacy should be taken seriously, given its impact on human health, noting that about 739 million people lack basic literacy, according to UNESCO reports, while four out of every ten children do not meet minimum reading proficiency.
Kinanee acknowledged that NDDC had contributed immensely to literacy levels in the Niger Delta region and encouraged continuous learning through digital platforms.
