The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Education Secretariat, has restated commitment to reduce number of out-of-school children in the territory.

 The Mandate Secretary for the Education Secretariat, Alhaji Sani El-Katuzu, made the pledge at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja to commemorate the 2022 International Literacy Day.

The theme of the event was: ” Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces; Exploring opportunities and Possibilities.”

Represented by the Director of Administration and Finance of the secretariat, Mr Leramoh Abdulraqak, El-Katuzu, said the secretariat would continue with culture of knowledge acquisition, economic education and skills empowerment.

The secretary said over the years, the education secretariat had remained resolute and committed to quality education with renewed emphasis to overcome illiteracy and ignorance.

El-Katuzu noted the theme of the event availed the secretariat the opportunity to further deepen the efforts of the FCT Administration to ensure equitable and inclusive education for all.

He disclosed that the secretariat had evolved series of policies and strategies to ensure that every resident of the FCT has equal access to quality and affordable education.

He added that the Department of Mass Education (DME) of the secretariat had rolled out series of life-changing skill acquisition and trainings to adults, women and youths in the FCT.

He said the efforts were geared towards reducing the rate of illiteracy in the territory.

“Our determination in enhancing the pace of literacy learning space is re-enforced by this 2022 inspired theme. It is this access to quality education that advance the course of literacy and help to show case productivity, ideas and turn the wheels of modern day life.

” We thank the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello and his team for the immense support of the administration, in order for us to realize our crucial role in the overall development of the FCT.

” We cannot try to imagine what life would be like if there was no access to education, which is capable of transforming the learning space through many opportunities and make impossible dreams and visions become possible.

“All the achievements of DME among others is worth celebrating on this remarkable International Literacy Day as it geared towards realizing the 2022 theme of “Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces; Exploring Opportunities and Possibilities,” he said.

On her part, the Director, FCT Mass Education, Mrs.Hajarat Alayande, explained that the department with the support of the secretary of education is working assiduously towards raising literacy index in the nation’s capital.

Alayande called on residents to take advantage of its over 200 mass education and vocational centres scattered across the six area councils of the territory to lift themselves out of illiteracy and poverty irrespective of age, sex and status.

She explained that the mass education platform of FCTA was inclusively and robustly established to cater for everybody, including the nomadic herders, the Almagiris and even the elderly people within the ages of 50 to 60.