Lagos — Director of Inspectorate Division of Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Kutara Elisha, said yesterday in Abuja that more than 70 million Nigerians are illiterate.

Elisha, who said this at the education summit, organised by Bwari Area Council in the FCT, noted that school drop-outs constituted 22 per cent of that figure.

He said that the Federal Government would soon introduce a new curriculum for schools to boost the quality of the products of the nation's education system.

He, however, said that the phasing out of the old curriculum would be a gradual process, while the new one would also be gradually introduced.

He called on teachers to rededicate themselves to their profession, adding that efforts were being made to motivate the teachers to enable them to give quality service delivery.

"The 6-3-3 program has been dropped and the nine-year primary-to-junior-secondary-school education system is now in place.

It will be universal, compulsory and free", he said.

He said that unlike in the past, when certificates were awarded at the end of Primary Six, certificates would now be issued after the completion of the nine-year basic education programme.

Earlier, Alhaji Isa Dara, Chairman of the Council, said that the summit was organised to address the declining of standard of education in the area.

"Out of 279 candidates who sat for JAMB, between 2005 and 2007, only 50 candidates passed, representing a mere 18 per cent.

This is a great concern for us," he said.