President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has launched an ambitious nationwide literacy campaign targeting over 80 million non-literate youths and adults across Nigeria. The initiative, known as the Accelerated Basic Education (ABE) programme, aims to provide inclusive, flexible, and high-impact learning opportunities to underserved Nigerians regardless of age, location, or background.

The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, represented by Dr. Claris Ujam, unveiled the programme during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Abuja. She described the initiative as a major step in implementing President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places human capital development at the core of national transformation.

According to the minister, the ABE programme is not just a policy framework but a national movement designed to dismantle barriers to learning and rapidly improve literacy levels among Nigerians. It focuses on expanding access to quality education through community-based learning models, data-driven planning, and inclusive strategies that reach the grassroots.

As of 2022, around 31 percent of Nigeria’s estimated 250 million population remains non-literate, amounting to nearly 80 million people. This staggering figure underscores what the minister called a “silent crisis” that hampers economic growth and citizen empowerment.

The Tinubu-led administration, through this programme, is addressing that crisis head-on by ensuring that learning is accessible in every state, local government, and ward without compromising relevance or quality. The initiative will particularly support women, youth, and vulnerable groups, empowering them with foundational literacy and lifelong learning skills.

The Federal Government has also called on NGOs, traditional institutions, civil society groups, and development partners to work collaboratively in achieving the programme’s goals. Stakeholders are expected to contribute to data collection, training, monitoring, and the establishment of community learning centres across the country.

This literacy campaign is one of the boldest education-focused moves by any Nigerian administration in recent times, reaffirming President Tinubu’s commitment to investing in the people as the foundation for a stronger, more inclusive nation.