International Literacy Day 2023
‘Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies’.
Since 1967, International Literacy Day (ILD) celebrations have taken place annually around the world to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society.
According to UNESCO, despite steady progress made across the world, literacy challenges persist with at least 763 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills in 2020.
We gather to celebrate a fundamental right that empowers the Nigerian youth, transforms the education sector, and uplifts the society as a whole.
International Literacy Day 2023 will be an opportunity to join efforts to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on education and lifelong learning and to reflect on the role of literacy in building more inclusive, peaceful, just, and sustainable societies.
In Nigeria, the importance of literacy for our children cannot be overstated. Literacy is the key that unlocks the door to a brighter future.
Literacy provides our children with the skills necessary to deal with a more complicated world and gives them the ability to realize their goals and make an impactful contribution to the growth of our nation.
Literacy is the ability to read, write, and understand written information. It is a fundamental skill that is essential for personal development, education, communication, and participation in modern society.
With literacy, students and pupils are able to translate ideas and thoughts into various written forms.
With Literacy, students are able to listen, comprehend, respond or give feedback and make informed decisions.
With literacy, students can read simple to complex articles, engage in critical thinking, analyze and distinguish facts from biases.
With digital literacy, self motivated and self sponsored individuals can surf the internet, find information and educate themselves in the digital space.
With Media literacy, the masses can analyze and extract facts from news publications themselves thereby avoiding misinformation and biases.
A strong foundation in literacy strengthens our education sector. It fosters a culture of learning, innovation, and critical thinking, ensuring that our schools are centers of excellence. Quality education is the bedrock of progress, and literacy is its cornerstone.
Beyond the individual and the education sector, literacy ripples through society, fostering economic growth, reducing poverty, and promoting social cohesion. A literate society is a stronger, more resilient society.
On this International Literacy Day 2023, let us reaffirm our commitment to nurturing the reading and writing skills of our children, strengthening our education system, and building a more prosperous Nigeria for all. Together, we can make literacy a reality for every Nigerian child, and in doing so, we will light the path to a brighter future for our nation.
About Author
Samantha Garuba is an SS3 science student of Merilebon Academy Uyo.
She has won many awards for Merilebon Academy and has represented the school very amicably in external outings and excursions
She aspires to have a career in the technology field and also a hobby as a writer and a public speaker.
Samantha also wishes to become a social media influencer and use her influence to help people who don’t have a voice (metaphorically speaking) to fight for themselves