Abuja — eA report by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) revealed on Monday that over 776 million adults were still illiterate globally, while about 75 million children have never tasted any form of education.

This was disclosed in Abuja as Minister of State for Education, Jibril Dikku, flagged off activities to commemorate the International Literacy Day, beginning today globally.

Addressing management of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education, Dikku said literacy needs, as significant as they were, constitute the most neglected social responsibility by leadership structures in the country, especially the Education for All policy.

She categorised the illiterate adults and children to be among the most disadvantaged and marginalised populations with a high percentage of women and girls, indigenous people, linguistic and cultural minorities, nomads, rural dwellers and the disabled.

The minister observed that a high correlation existed between poverty and illiteracy.

"Despite clear evidence of the power of literacy to transform individual lives and patterns of social development, in many parts of the world there is neither the political will nor the resources to make youth and adult literacy an area of priority.

"Those whose lack of basic literacy and numeracy skills is not being addressed, almost one in six adults, are being told that their rights, their needs and their hopes do not count.

"This is an unconscionable situation whose blatant injustice must not be allowed to continue," she said.

The minister noted that literacy is an empowering force that serves to increase self-esteem and other societal benefits.