The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), also known as the Pyrates Confraternity, has described Nigeria’s deepening literacy crisis as a national emergency, warning that millions of out-of-school children risk being trapped in poverty, exclusion, and crime unless urgent interventions are made.
The group raised the alarm in a statement issued on International Literacy Day, themed “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era: Bridging the Gap.”
Speaking on behalf of NAS, the association’s Cap’n, Dr Joseph Oteri, said the scale of Nigeria’s challenge was unprecedented.
“Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria has the world’s highest number of out-of-school children. UNICEF estimates 10.2 million primary school-age children are out of school, while UNESCO puts the figure at 18.3 million when adolescents are included. In real terms, one in every five out-of-school children worldwide is Nigerian,” Oteri stated.
He noted that this crisis threatens Nigeria’s ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on quality education, poverty reduction, gender equality, and reduced inequalities.
According to him, persistent barriers such as insecurity, poverty, child labour, gender discrimination, and poor infrastructure continue to push children out of classrooms and into unsafe environments where they are vulnerable to drugs, crime, exploitation, and human trafficking.
“Literacy in the 21st century must be holistic, inclusive, and digitally driven. Nigeria cannot achieve meaningful development while millions of its children remain uneducated, digitally excluded, and socially disenfranchised,” he stressed.
Oteri also expressed concern about Nigeria’s growing digital divide. While urban children increasingly benefit from technology-enabled learning, millions in rural communities remain excluded due to high internet costs, lack of digital devices, and absence of ICT centres.
“This uneven access is widening inequality and risks creating a generation of digitally illiterate citizens in a knowledge-driven world,” he warned.
