The Jigawa Government has introduced a new literacy radio programme for adult learners in the state.

According to the executive secretary of Jigawa State Agency for Mass Education, Abbas Abubakar, the aim is to boost the state’s literacy level.

Mr Abubakar, who disclosed this on Sunday, added that the programme would eradicate illiteracy in the state, particularly among adults in rural areas.

He explained that a solar-powered radio set had been given to each of the 1,000 adult learners targeted under the programme.

Apart from the radio sets, Mr Abubakar said the state also provided instructional materials, learners’ primers and memory cards for the programme’s smooth take-off.

According to him, the government had also paid Radio Jigawa to air the programme for six months, as well as the facilitators’ allowance, training and monitoring of the facilitators.

Mr Abubakar further disclosed that the state’s 18 local government areas were expected to benefit from the programme, which is scheduled to commence on October 4 and end in March 2022.

The programme was introduced to complement the efforts of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC) in boosting mass literacy in the state.

NMEC recently donated 307 radio sets and other instructional materials as part of its efforts at boosting mass literacy in the state.

The instructional materials included 307 memory cards, 52 Compact Disks (CDs) Master, 307 2A, 2B and 2D exercise books each, 307 pencils, 307 sharpeners, 300 Forms C, 290 literacy by radio learners primers, and six registers.

The radio sets were distributed to 300 learners and seven facilitators at six literacy centres in Dutse, Birnin Kudu, Kaugama, Kafinhausa, Taura and Gumel local government areas.

The benefitting centres are Limawa in Dutse, Kangire in Birninkudu, Yalo in Kaugama, Jabo in Kafinhausa, Majiya in Taura and Garin Gambo in Gumel.

“The advantage of the programme is that one radio teacher can reach many adult learners at once. The adult learners don’t have to go anywhere, they can learn in their locality.

“Also, the programme saves a lot of costs and logistics. It also improves the literacy status of communities,” the executive secretary said.

Jigawa is being supported by the NMEC along with six other states in the country.