The legislator representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency I at the State House of Assembly, Hon. Temitope Adedeji Adewale, Nigeria would have achieved 100 percent literacy level across the country by 2031, the Lagos lawmaker said.
Adewale made the assertion after inspecting the screening session for the distribution of his free GCE forms to prospective candidates in Lagos on Saturday.
The lawmaker commended the Federal Government for the various initiatives aimed at pulling the youth off the streets and engaging them in meaningful ventures including education.
He noted that since the introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) by the President Bola Tinubu administration, more Nigerians are eager for admission into tertiary institutions in the country.
“You see, Mr. President is doing everything possible to boost the literacy level in the country. And given the way the government is going, by the end of President Tinubu’s second term in 2031, Nigeria will be boasting a 100 percent literacy rate and this would include resolving the issue of out-of-school kids,” Adewale said.
As at April, 2025, NELFUND said over 500,000 students had applied for loans across Nigeria.
The lawmaker described the figure as encouraging adding that it would help the government with future projections.
“It also gladens the heart that the state governments continue to support the Federal Government with various initiatives. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu attended the graduation ceremony of 5,300 residents from the Lagos Skill Acquisition Programmes. This means 5,300 residents are off the labour market.
“We are giving out 400 forms this year. We also give out JAMB forms because we know that education remains the strongest tool we can use to change lives and shape the future.
“This programme is part of my promise to ensure no student misses an opportunity because of financial constraints. Our goal remains to make Ifako-Ijaiye the most educated local government in Nigeria by 2031,” he said.
He said that through the Adewale Temitope Educational Initiatives (ATA-EI), he has given out over 8000 free GCE and JAMB forms so far with at least 120 students on scholarships in various tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
“This says a lot about the government’s interest in the youth and, given another term with President Tinubu and our party in power, Nigerians will look back sometime in the future and thank God that we had this chance,” he added.
