To mark the 2025 World Literacy Day, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called on Nigerians to embrace literacy as a powerful tool for promoting national identity, fostering social cohesion, and tackling poverty, particularly among underserved populations.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Agency’s Deputy Director, Communication and Media, Paul Odenyi, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said this year’s commemoration offers an opportunity for Nigerians to reflect on the transformative role of literacy in reducing poverty, fostering lifelong learning, and building a more inclusive and equitable society.
Issa-Onilu noted that literacy goes beyond the basic ability to read and write, describing it as a gateway to knowledge, innovation, and meaningful participation in democratic processes.
He urged Nigerians from all walks of life — including parents, teachers, community leaders, policymakers, and civil society actors — to renew their commitment to advancing literacy as a collective responsibility.
Encouraging children, youths, and adults to embrace reading and lifelong learning, the NOA boss called for the strengthening of public and community libraries as vital hubs for knowledge and civic participation.
Issa-Onilu also stressed the importance of digital literacy to prepare citizens for the demands of the 21st-century knowledge economy, while urging support for initiatives that remove barriers to education, especially for women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.
According to him, the Agency will continue to leverage its nationwide structures to sensitise, mobilise, and collaborate with stakeholders in promoting literacy as a tool for social cohesion, national identity, and sustainable development.
“A literate Nigeria is a stronger Nigeria. Together, let us make reading and learning a culture that defines us as a people,” he added.
