FG grants NMEC full autonomy, targets 50 million Nigerians for digital literacy

The Federal Government has granted full autonomy to the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education, with a new target to train more than 50 million young adults in digital literacy within three years.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa announced the decision on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting, saying the move followed a presentation by NMEC chairperson Musa Maitafsir, a professor. Alausa said the administration wants faster progress on adult education and digital skills at scale.

He said Nigeria still has a major literacy challenge, adding that about 56 million Nigerians are currently illiterate. According to him, the country cannot sustain that level of exclusion if it wants broader economic and social participation.

Alausa said NMEC will expand its outreach, especially in rural communities, through radio and television programmes, public advocacy and community-based learning centres. He said the goal is to reach young adults who are outside formal schooling and need practical literacy and digital training.

The minister also restated that the federal suspension on establishing new tertiary institutions is still in effect. He had announced a seven-year pause last year, arguing that the pressure point in higher education is no longer only access, but capacity and quality within existing institutions.

To explain the strain on admission spaces, Alausa said only about 228,000 candidates out of the 2.3 million people who sat the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination last year were admitted into public universities.

At the same council meeting, the government approved comprehensive insurance cover for 180 federal unity schools across the country.

The latest education decisions indicate a twin-track approach: strengthening basic and adult learning access while managing growth pressure in tertiary admissions. Officials said implementation will depend on steady outreach and measurable progress in underserved communities.

NMEC was created to reduce illiteracy and provide non-formal, continuing and lifelong learning opportunities for adult Nigerians. With the new autonomy, the commission is now expected to drive implementation more directly as the government pushes literacy and digital inclusion targets over the next three years.