The National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC), has donated 307 radio sets and other instructional materials to boost mass literacy in Jigawa state.
The Executive Secretary, Jigawa State Agency for Mass Education, Dr Abbas Abubakar, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Monday.
Abubakar said the instructional materials included 307 memory cards, 52 Compact Disks (CDs) Master, 307 2A, 2B and 2D exercise books each, 307 pencils, 307 sharpeners, 300 Forms C, 290 literacy by radio learners primers, and 6 registers.
He explained that the radio sets were distributed to 300 learners and seven facilitators at six literacy centres, in Dutse, Birninku, Kaugama, Kafinhausa, Taura and Gumel Local Government Areas.
According to him, the benefitting centres are Limawa in Dutse, Kangire in Birninkudu, Yalo in Kaugama, Jabo in Kafinhausa, Majiya in Taura and Garin Gambo in Gumel.
Abubakar added that part of the support by the commission included full payment for three months air time to Radio Jigawa for the programme.
Others, he said, were full payment of six facilitators’ stipends for three months, as well as training the facilitators.
“This support from NMEC will surely improve the literacy status of the state. You may to note that literacy by radio refers to teaching of reading, writing and calculations to youths and adult learners in their mother tongue or any other language through radio.
“The advantage of the programme is that one radio teacher can reach many adult learners at once. The adult learners don’t have to go anywhere, they can learn in their own locality.
“Also, the programme saves a lot of cost and logistics. It also improves literacy status of communities,” Abubakar explained.
He added that Jigawa, is being supported by the NMEC along with six other states in the country. (NAN)
