Uchendu Alexis
The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), popularly known as the Pyrates Confraternity, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make education a top priority in his government in recognition of the transformational power of education.
The group announced this while presenting some of its projects in Abuja to commemorate the 2023 International Literacy Day, with the theme “Empowering Communities Through Literacy.”
During the ceremony, Olamide Oni, President of the NAS Abuja Chapter (Sahara Deck), emphasised the importance of education in the growth of society throughout history, and raised worry about the state of literacy in Nigeria, particularly among young people.
Oni stated, “Within the Abuja City Center, where we operate, we have observed that achieving literacy, especially among young people, remains a significant challenge. With the proliferation of IDP camps, street hawking, and a rising number of out-of-school children, there is an urgent need to redouble our efforts to raise the level of literacy in the country, and especially in the FCT.”
He called upon the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to prioritize education in his administration, emphasizing that deliberate efforts are required to address the identified issues and improve literacy levels significantly in the FCT.
Oni also expressed concern about the state of public schools, particularly at the primary and secondary levels, noting that many of them suffer from inadequate staffing and lack essential infrastructure.
Highlighting Sahara Deck’s previous initiatives to promote literacy, Oni mentioned projects such as the “Adopt a Child School Campaign,” aimed at assisting underprivileged students in care homes to access education, providing learning materials at the Abuja home for children in Karu, renovating classrooms and installing educational materials at GSS Kuje, and supplying educational items to the School of the Blind in Jabi, Abuja.
