The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has reported that 75 percent of Nigerian children aged between seven and 14 years are unable to read a simple sentence or solve basic mathematics problems. This alarming statistic was highlighted by Cristian Munduate, the UNICEF Nigeria representative, in a statement released on Tuesday to commemorate this year’s International Day of Education.
Munduate emphasized the importance of prioritizing education, urging presidential candidates to make it a key focus in their agendas as the elections approach. He stated, “On this International Day of Education, I join the global call to ‘invest in people, prioritize education’ and deliver on the commitments made by President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) at the UN Secretary General’s Transforming Education Summit in September 2022 to end the global learning crisis.”
He further explained that for children to effectively learn, they must first acquire reading skills within the initial three years of schooling. As Nigeria prepares for its presidential elections, Munduate, on behalf of UNICEF and the children of Nigeria, called upon all candidates to prioritize adequate investments in education within their manifestos.
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