A REFLECTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERIES AND CHALLENGES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ADULT LITERACY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

The focus of this paper was to highlight the challenges associated with promotion of adult literacy education in Nigeria and to examine critically the modalities (structures and strategies) employed by adult literacy institutions in the management of adult literacy programmes. Since 1946, the year of first government mass literacy campaign in the country, Non-Governmental Organizations and some international partners have been playing complementary roles to governmental efforts towards promoting adult literacy education. In addition to well-structured institutional arrangements right from the Federal level to zonal education offices in the 774 local government areas, a good number of administrative strategies including the 1999-launched Universal free Basic Education Programme with its inclusive nature are on ground to reduce the high rate of adult illiteracy in the country. Upon all these, adult illiteracy continues to pose a significant problem in Nigeria. Is it to be understood that most of the institutions and personnel charged with the responsibility of planning and organizing adult literacy education lack the expertise and training on how adult literacy programmes should be handled for positive results? However, in the final analysis, some identified challenges such as poor conceptualization of adult literacy, lack of political will, inadequate funding, poor professional development, porous literacy environment, etc. which make the practitioners face a Herculean task in performing their duties, must be seriously addressed else, administration and management of adult literacy education will remain a farce in Nigeria.