ILLITERACY IN AFRICA

by
BAMAKO TEAM (YALI)
COHORT-5
 BAMAKO GROUP MEMBERS
• Shaban Somah Amadu - shabansomah29@gmail.com • Ghana
• Kayode Makinde - drkayodemakinde@gmail.com • Nigeria
• Adewale Samuel Adeleye - adeleyeadewalesamuel@yahoo.com • Nigeria
• Bage Eric Mesumbe -bagemesumbe@gmail.com • Cameroon
• Azu Nnenne Udeagha - soccernene@gmail.com • Nigeria
• Morris Jumah Sheriff - sjomorris37@hotmail.com • Liberia
• Olabanji Abimbola omolara - olabanjiabimbola39@gmail.com • Nigeria
• Anselem Kadiri - anselemkadiri@gmail.com • Nigeria (Group leader)
• Adediji oluwaponmile omolade - ponlea07@yahoo.com • Nigeria

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 OUTLINE
 Introduction
 Some Problems in Africa
 Illiteracy
 Epidemiology
 Causes of Illiteracy in Africa
 Impact of Illiteracy in Africans
 Roles of YALI Participants
 Solutions to Illiteracy in Africa
 Conclusion
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 INTRODUCTION

Africa like any other continent in the world

is faced with a number of problems. But the
severity of our problems is inherently
because of the lack of political, economic
and social literacy.
We believe a rigorous drive to educate the
African masses is the way forward.

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SOME PROBLEMS IN AFRICA

Illiteracy
Corruption
Poor Governance
Insecurity
Unemployment
Population Growth
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 ILLITERACY

Among the numerous problems in Africa, we

shall be dwelling more on illiteracy as it appears
to link all other problems in one way or the
other.
It has a central role to play as far as Africa and
her people’ problems are concerned.
Once the problem is conquered, the effects of
the other problems on the development of Africa
will be minimal or will be much less significant.

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 ILLITERACY

 Definition:
 Illiteracy is the inability of an individual to read
for knowledge, write coherently and think
critically about the written word. In its simplest
form, it can be defined as lack of any or
sufficient education.
 UNESCO defines a literate person as someone
who can read and write a short statement about
their life.

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 EPIDEMIOLOGY

 “70 out of 100 people in the world cannot read... if you can read then you
are the luckiest out of 2 million people in the world that cannot.” - Call
Bain
 182 million adults in sub-saharan Africa cannot READ/WRITE
 Learning to read and write is a fundamental human right, yet 38% of
African adults are illiterates.
 7 in 10 men can read and write in Africa while only half of women can.
 Though Illiteracy rates are improving globally, there are more illiterates
in the world today.

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 CAUSES OF ILLITERACY IN AFRICA

 1. Poverty: One of the core causes of illiteracy in Africa

is poverty. Those who form the majority of the African
populace are poor. This excludes them from access to
education that would have otherwise led to their
literacy.
 2. Uneducated Parents: The children of illiterate
parents are more likely to be illiterate compared to
literate parents. Illiteracy like poverty can be
intergenerational, that is, it transfers from parent-to-
child.
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 CAUSES OF ILLITERACY IN AFRICA

 3. Corruption: Corruption has engulfed the African

society. It has eroded 'The free education of the
masses'. It has made resources meant for the
education of the African population to be instruments
fueling the luxurious life of the African political class.
 4. Political Instability: Instability has rocked the
African continent so much so that policies are often
discontinued. In many African countries where
primary free education were adopted, these policies
were poorly executed.
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 IMPACT OF ILLITERACY IN
AFRICA

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 IMPACT OF ILLITERACY IN
AFRICA

The impact of illiteracy touches on core issues that makes up the

African society. Some of which includes:
 1) Poverty: Illiteracy leads to poverty. Education equips one with
the right skills and expertise for gainful employment. A person
who has not gone to school and is unable to read and write may
experience a hard time in finding a job especially in a world
where the corporate environment is increasingly in demand for
employees who are well-trained and can cope with an industry
driven by technology.

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 IMPACT OF ILLITERACY IN
AFRICA

 2) Hinders economic and social progress: The more illiterate

people in a country, the harder it will be for the country to
progress. Illiteracy not only limits the full development of
individuals but also has recoils throughout life, affecting a
person’s family environment, limiting access to the benefits of
development.
 3) Social crimes: Through education, a person can cultivate some
civic sense and develop behavior patterns that are socially
acceptable. Illiterate people may engage in unlawful acts in the
society due to lack of employment or simply as a result of being
uncultured.
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 IMPACT OF ILLITERACY IN
AFRICA

 4) Unemployment: We live in a world where the job

market favors people who are properly educated with
useful skills to drive company growth. Many illiterate
people are thus underpaid, underemployed or
unemployed.
 5. Political Apathy: illiteracy dampers active
participation of citizens. The citizens participation in
the developed world cannot be compared with in the
less developed world, where illiteracy is higher.

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OUR ROLES AS YALI PARTICIPANTS

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OUR ROLES AS YALI PARTICIPANTS

 As young African leaders, we have a role to play in the

solution to the problems bedeviling the African
continent. We in Bamako Group have especially found
these roles important in solving the problem of
Illiteracy in Africa. They include:
 1. Citizen Sensitization: As YALI participants, we can
leverage the #YALILEARNS program to educate and
sensitize citizens of Africa in our various cities.
Thereby educating both youths and parents on the
importance of education.
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OUR ROLES AS YALI PARTICIPANTS

 2. Advocacy: Young African leaders must become

advocates of African literacy and education. We can
promote Africa's literacy rate by promoting the need
for literacy in our various spheres of society.
 3. Outreach to Disadvantaged Communities: Most
African communities are often disadvantaged and
require external assistance by young leaders. As YALI
participants, we can create illiteracy campaign to
such communities in our vicinities, promoting the
need for education and supporting efforts to create
schools even possible.
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OUR ROLES AS YALI PARTICIPANTS

 4. Volunteerism/ Community Service : YALI

participants can volunteer in various community
centres, providing lessons to youths and parents who
otherwise would not be able to acquire such
knowledge
 5. Promote Entrepreneurship: We as YALI participants
can promote entrepreneurship among our peers. This
will provide them with the means to access requisite
knowledge and make impact in the various societies
they find themselves.
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 SOLUTIONS TO ILLITERACY IN
AFRICA

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 SOLUTIONS TO ILLITERACY IN
AFRICA
 1)Free education: The provision of free education in
schools, colleges, and universities by the government
can play a major role in reducing the level of illiteracy
in a country by getting more people to school.
 2) Awareness: Creating awareness about the
importance of education can help people understand
why they need to go to school. Non-governmental
organizations, government agencies, and other
concerned parties should put in place deliberate
measures to create awareness in the society.
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 SOLUTIONS TO ILLITERACY IN
AFRICA
 3) Grants: Offering grants, subsidies, and scholarships can
reduce the financial burden that parents and students
bear in paying for education.
 4) Lower educational cost: Even though education has its
rewards, it is very costly to finance. Many graduates
usually leave school with huge debts. The cost of
education should be subsidized by the government
 5) Digitization: Since we live in the age of technology and
information, creating digital platforms for reading and
learning can help reduce illiteracy in the society.
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 CONCLUSION

Lack of appropriate knowledge and

technical know-how is a recipe for the
failure in the development of Africa .
Until Africans get the proper
EDUCATION and understand the
principles of leadership, only then can we
be liberated from the shackles of
poverty, underdevelopment, ethnic crisis
that we today suffer from.
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 REFERENCES

 www.foundationalphabetisation.org
 www.importantindia.com
 www.dictionary.com
 http://iluvjetnoise.blogspot.com.ng/2012/08/illiteracy
-causes-effects-solutions.html?morg
 https://www.africanlibraryproject.org/our-african-
libraries/africa-facts
 http://www.unesco.org/new/en/dakar/education/liter
acy/
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 THANK YOU

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