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Literacy and Peace was the theme for this year's International Literacy Day, which was celebrated on September 8. Adewale Oshodi examines the connection between literacy and peace in the country.

EVERY September 8 is the International Literacy Day, proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On the day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the benefits of literacy and learning globally. It further links illiteracy with countries facing severe poverty, as well as on prejudice against women.

According to UNESCO's Global Monitoring Report on Education for All, sub-Saharan Africa still has one of the lowest regional literacy rates, and not much is being done towards raising the level in this part of the world. This should, therefore, give everybody a cause for concern, especially the fact that there is a link between illiteracy and violence, and going by what is happening in most African countries, South of the Sahara, it is high time the authorities took the issue of literacy seriously.

Firstly, in Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency in the North has been blamed on the high level of illiteracy in that part of the country, and going by UNESCO's analysis, illiteracy also results in poverty.

The truth is that, this analysis is a direct reflection of what is happening in Northern Nigeria, where a larger percentage of the people are not able to read or write. This, therefore, makes it easy for them to be indoctrinated, and little wonder we have young and able-bodied men who could contribute positively to the economic development of the country, accepting to be agents of death through suicide bombings.

Also, taking a look at the South South region before the amnesty programme, one would notice that lawlessness reigned supreme, with the kidnapping of oil workers, foreigners and the bombings of oil pipelines and installations.

Like in the North, there is also a low literacy level in the South South, and this speaks volume on why the youth in this region took to violence to protest the environmental degradation and other problems facing the region.

A contrary situation can, however, be found in the South West, which is regarded as the most literate region in the country. This is not unconnected with the introduction of the free education policy in the 1950s by the then Premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The replication of this policy by successive authorities in the region has, therefore, kept the literacy level on the high side.

This, therefore, could be the reason the people of the South West do not readily take to violence to protest any form of marginalisation. The North is currently battling with the Boko Haram insurgency, the South East is battling kidnapping, the South South took to violence to protest environmental degradation caused by oil pollution. The Nigerian situation is also replicated in other countries where there is low literacy level like Mali, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea e.t.c.

With this analysis, it can be ascertained that there is a link between illiteracy and violence, and this year's International Literacy Day's theme, Literacy and Peace, should be taken seriously by those in positions of authority, thereby making it possible for a larger percentage of the populace to acquire education, and as a result of this, conflicts and violence are being eliminated in a way.

The president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, definitely knows the connection between literacy and peace, and that is why he launched the Bring Back the Book initiative in December 2010. This policy is aimed towards returning Nigerians to the reading culture, which is an important step towards increasing the literacy level.

Recently also, the president launched the Almajiri school system in Northern Nigeria, to make education accessible and affordable to the less-privileged in this part of the country. This is in addition to several other projects the presidency has embarked upon to increase the literacy level in the country.

While speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, Dr Chijioke Uwasomba of the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, admitted that there is a link between literacy and peace. He said this is because a literate person is by every implication a man or woman of culture and civilised conduct.

"Literacy, broadly and properly conceptualised, goes beyond reading and writing and emphasises the acquisition of values of decency, togetherness, respect for others, irrespective of class, ethnic origin, creed and other differences. A literate person avoids all antedeluvian predispositions and demonstrates that he or she is a man or woman of high culture, repute and discipline. It is possible that those who engage in violence have not in any way enjoyed the values that literacy offers to humanity.

However, in order to increase the level of literacy in the country, Dr Uwasomba said government must show serious interest in issues that have a lot to do with the promotion of literacy in the country.

"This is possible where government empowers the agencies that have the mandate of promoting literacy and ensuring that the proper things are done by and in these agencies. From the statistics and other indices, it appears as if the government is not doing the proper things that are required to promote literacy in the country. I must say that a literate society is to a reasonable extent a happy society," Dr Uwasomba said.

Also, Mr Folorunso Moshood, the Admin/Programme Officer of the Educare Trust Nigeria, believes there is a connection between literacy and peace. While defining literacy, Moshood said it is the ability to understand and use symbols that are culturally specific, such as alphabets, numbers and visual icons for learning and development.

"Literacy is an essential ingredient for building and developing reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. To establish the connection between literacy and peace, one must look at the culture of a particular community in relation to what members of that community are writing and reading as well as what they are saying, watching and listening to. A child that is exposed to a fabricated literary text that says if you kill for God, you will enter paradise and sleep with seven virgins will never be tolerant to any issue that borders on religion. Such a child will be violent and the community where the child comes from will never know peace. So, peace or war will depend on what people are reading and writing as well as what they are saying, watching and listening to," the Educare Trust Programme Officer stated. He added that  for government to increase literacy that enhances peace, government must begin to establish youth centres in every nook and cranny of the country.

"The youth centres should have 'Literacy for Justice' as part of the thematic areas. Government should come up with an achievable blueprint that will transform our youths into justice-oriented citizens. A justice-oriented citizen will not loot the treasury," Moshood said.

Defining literacy, Mrs Ganiyat Brimoh, the Programme Officer of the Nigerian Society for Information, Arts and Culture (NSIAC), said it is the ability to read and write, and peace is a situation where there is no war and fighting.

However, when people are literate, they tend to see things in a different light; they tend to be more mature in their approach to issues, and going by this, it is possible to use literacy to advance our community" Mrs Brimoh stated, adding that the government certainly has a role to play in promoting peace using literacy.

"But the average individual should not wait on government for everything; well-meaning individuals and groups should engage in activities and programmes that will promote literacy in their little ways; this will definitely augment what the government is doing or start off what the government is not doing," the NSIAC Programme Officer said while charging everyone to get involved and be literacy advocate.

Going by these submissions,  it is now clear that there is a connection between literacy and peace, and government can actually use literacy in achieving peace in the country. 

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