Lagos State to Train 1000 Facilitators for Eko nke koo
Lagos State Government through the Agency for Mass Education on the 10th & 11th of January, 2017 commenced the training of 1000 facilitators for the State’s adult literacy programme – Eko Nke Koo (Lagos is Learning). This was disclosed in a press statement issued from the Ministry of Education.
It would be recalled that Eko Nke Nkoo (Lagos is Learning) was launched last year as part of the commitment of the administration of His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to increase the State’s literacy level from 87% to 95% by the year 2019.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, stated that “as part of the Eko Nke Nkoo (Lagos is Learning) programme, 1000 new facilitators will be trained in 2017.” We have completed the first batch of two hundred and fifty (250), another set of 250 will be trained in February while the remaining 500 would be trained in March. “Training and capacity development is a very integral part of the programme and we are committed to it.” Mr. Bank-Olemoh added.
To achieve the set goals of increasing access for adult learners and growing the retention rates, the government has initiated partnerships with religious organizations as well as NGOs, market and mechanic associations, and private sector partners to scale up the number of literacy centres across the State from the current 532 centres to 1000 in 2017.
These organisations have expressed commitment to join hands with the State by providing spaces in markets, mechanic villages and religious centres for the tutelage of adult learners. These centres would double as learning centres for the literacy program and vocational centres for adults seeking to acquire marketable skills for greater functionality. Participating associations have also promised to encourage their members to enrol in the programme.
The 2-day intensive training focused on topics including: Understanding adult learners; Qualities and roles of a good literacy facilitator; Enhancing adult’s motivation to learn; and literacy teaching methods, techniques and approaches among others. Upon completion of the training, the trainees join the existing 486 facilitators already in the system.
According to the director of Lagos State Agency for Mass Education, Mrs. Kemi Kalesanwo “this training is the first of its series aimed at equipping the literacy facilitators that will be deployed to the centres. The trainees will gain the necessary knowledge and skill to help us reach our goal of increasing the literacy rate across the State.”
