By Olasunkanmi Onifade
- Child and Youth Protection Foundation (CYPF) on Thursday called on the government at all levels to invest more in education and literacy programmes in rural areas to promote national development.
The National Coordinator of CYPF, Mr Kolawole Olatosimi said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Abuja to commemorate the World Literacy Day with the theme ‘Transforming literacy learning spaces’.
NAN reports that this year’s theme points at the fact that learning spaces help build better relationships and communication between students of all kinds.
A learning space refers to a physical setting for a learning environment, a place in which teaching and learning occur.
”With advanced technology, we also have virtual learning spaces,” Olatosimi said.
He said stakeholders should also begin to review their interventions in communities so as to promote sustainability at all levels.
“Literacy is important in the development of the nation because, the higher the literacy rate, the higher the socio economic and human development for the nation.
“Hence, literacy not only empowers individuals, families and communities, but it also reduces poverty and improves quality of life.
”It also helps to attain gender equality and ensure peace, democracy and sustainable development,” Olatosimi said.
He said literacy was also important in the development of a girl child, by breaking the cycle of illiteracy and improving self-esteem is crucial for women and girls in the developing world.
Olatosimi said literacy enables a girl child to become economically productive, independent,, as well as empowered to take control of their lives.
“A girl child can bring a different point of view and in a class, girls add a wholesome perspective to any topic.
” Since girls are stronger in soft skills, they bring values of fairness and empathy to any workplace and make it more varied, complex and more complete,”Olatosimi said.
He said the importance of education in fostering personal autonomy, creative and critical thinking skills was central to helping girls contribute to their societies.
Olatosimi said a family where girls were educated and more empowered there was a belief that one was raising strong citizens.
He added that such families become the building blocks of a strong society.
He said the foundation was committed to promoting literacy by providing educational support in different ways through our programmes.
They include ICT for girls, educational support schemes and capacity building programmes. (NAN)
