:: Serials :: Corona College Of Education E-Resources

Repositioning Conceptual Understanding of Adult Education for Social Transformation in Nigeria

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

African Research Review: An International

Multidisciplinary Journal, Ethiopia

AFRREV Vol. 14 (1), Serial No 57, January, 2020: 40-

ISSN 1994-9057 (Print) ISSN 2070-0083 (Online)

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/afrrev.v14i1.4

Repositioning Conceptual Understanding of Adult Education for

Social Transformation in Nigeria

Okafor, Ikechukwu M.

Dept of Arts Education

Faculty of Education,

Federal University, Otuoke

Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Arikawei, Apuega R.

Dept of Educational Foundations

Faculty of Education

Niger Delta University

Wilberforce Island

Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Tel: +2348033290270; +2348035008132

Abstract

The conceptual understanding of Adult Education and its mission has continued to suffer

much neglect in various quarters in the education sector. The debate on the status of the

discipline has been accorded low esteem and relegated to the background in government

circles, in the intellectual community and public perception despite the huge potentials it

offers in the developmental process. This paper is an attempt at repositioning the

understanding of Adult Education to restore the image of poor perception from policy makers

and implementers of adult education programmes in Nigeria. The paper examined the

utilitarian value of adult education needed for the transformation of the plethora of problems

in the economic, social and political landscape of society. It recommended that there is need

to redesign adult education curriculum to sustain its nomenclature for lifelong learning to

bring about the needed recognition as a career discipline in the education system for

maximum benefit in Nigeria.

Key Words: Repositioning, Conceptual, Understanding, Social, Transformation, Adult

Education

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

Introduction

Adult education is a broad field of education that covers different areas of human learning.

The basic tenet of adult education is the conviction that learning should not be restricted to a

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Adult education has over the years played a key role in

changing the lives of different societies. Through adult education, many adults have found

their way onto different paths of learning and have made up for lost time by discovering their

potential and skills, achieving things they never knew they could achieve.

Tracing Adult Education back in African traditional background takes us back to functional

role it played in the traditional African society where it was used to secure the survival of the

community. Wrapped in the survival drive were the community’s qualities, profound

morality, ability procurement and different types of preparing. All the more critically, adult

education at that point was a deep-rooted procedure that was utilized by conventional

foundations of Higher Education to guarantee that every community consistently made and

safeguarded its class of 'savant lords'. Like the remainder of customary training, adult

education was basically culture-pushed and network based. It was a significant scaffold

between the past and the present with a bus to what's to come. It is in this feeling one can

portray it as being conventional.

Adult education is a form of learning or education that adults engage in beyond traditional

schooling, and covers the basic literacy to personal fulfilment as a lifelong learner. Adult

education fathoms such different modes as autonomous examination intentionally sought after

with or without the guide of libraries; communicate projects or correspondence courses;

bunch exchange and other "common guide" learning in study circles, colloquia, workshops

and private gatherings and full-or low maintenance study in classes or courses in which the

speaker, educator, or coach has a formal driving job.

Although adult education is as old as man both as a body of knowledge and a field of study,

there appears to be widespread misconceptions in understanding its content and programmes.

According to Ezimah (2004) adult education is wrongly conceived as being synonymous with

literacy education (reading, writing and numeracy) solely designed for the education of the

old and aged adult illiterates. This misconception appears to be more pronounced in the

developing countries where there is widespread level of illiteracy.

One fundamental reason for the widespread misconception of adult education could be

attributed to ignorance on the utilitarian value of the subject matter. Most people especially in

developing countries like Nigeria are yet to come to terms with the true concept of adult

education and what it will offer to the society as a discipline. For this reason, Ezimah (2004)

observed that adult education in a developing milieu can best be described as a weeping

willow in misplaced priorities. Its concept has over the years continued to suffer relegation in

various quarters in the developing countries.

Adult education is misconceived even among the intellectuals, educational managers and

political leaders. The misconception arose to the extent that its developmental potentials are

yet to be effectively harnessed. This may not be unconnected to the display of illiteracy which

is bound to affect the planning and development of educational policies of the countries. This

situation could result to educational imbalance accounting for the reduction in the economic,

social, educational and political development of such nations. This is evident as the wealth of

any nation is not only measured on the strength of its economy but also on the literacy

parameters of the citizens.

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

The most alarming misconception is perhaps, the name adult education itself. It is glaring that

the conceptual nomenclature of adulthood has been misconstrued by both practitioners,

stakeholders and the government. The term “adult” is seen by most persons in various

quarters as a reference point to old people and so, the education of such group of individuals

are of no use to the society. This scenario more than anything reinforced the growing

misconception of adult education as the proper name as a field study. However, adult

education as a lifelong learning has no boundaries and all-inclusive as learning could not have

age boundary or social barriers.

Conceptualizing Adult Education

Adult education has been defined by several authors, and each definition is based on the

philosophical perspective of the author. For example, Chijioke (2010) defined adult education

as “the practice of teaching and educating adults. This often happens in the workplace,

through 'extension' or 'continuing education' courses at secondary schools, at a college or

university. Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong

learning centres. The practice is also often referred to as ‘Training and Development.’

According to Ouane (2009), adult learning and education is now more than ever emerging as

an empowering tool capable of liberating and harnessing the creative forces of prove,

potential of communities and the wealth of nations in a situation of global crisis. As a lifelong

learning context, adult education is an inclusive education that emphasizes self-esteem,

empowerment, citizenship-building community organization, labour skills, income

generations and even poverty alleviation. Nigeria and indeed many African countries are

currently faced with daunting challenges of reducing unemployment, eradicating poverty,

poor health conditions, preventing and resolving conflicts, insecurity and integrating

smoothly into the main stream of the world economy (Seya, 2005). Adult education is not

only relevant in the economic and social spheres. It plays a very significant contribution in

strengthening democracy. For democracy to strive effectively, adult education is needed to

educate citizens on the democratic culture as well as inform them of their rights and

responsibilities as democracy requires people to actively participate at local, national and

global levels (Seya, 2005).

Reddy (2000) postulated “adult education as part time or full time education for men and

women of all ages either organized by themselves or provided by schools, learning centres, or

other agencies which enable them to improve their general or professional knowledge, skills

and abilities by either continuing their education or resuming their initial or incomplete

education of previous years”. While Mohanthy (1989) pioneered the concept of lifelong

education, he stressed the concept of lifelong education because of its relevance to the present

set up of society. He categorically stated that the term, education, should be more functional,

relevant and recurrent. Accordingly, he opined that education bridges the past with the present

and the future makes an individual learn continuously.

Rogers (1992) opined that adult education comprises “all planned and purposeful learning

opportunities offered to those who are recognized and recognize themselves as adults in their

own society and who left the formal (initial education system or who have passed beyond the

possible state of initial education if they were not in it), whether such learning opportunities

treat the learners as adults in decision making, use of appropriate adult learning methodology

and style and purpose and to meet their own need”. As stated earlier, the concept and

understanding of adult education is an issue based on the society and so different conceptual

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

understanding. In a developing nation, where high rate of illiteracy, political thuggery,

religious intolerance, youth restiveness, high unemployment among others abound.

The parameter, concept and definition will attempt to accommodate phenomenal problems.

Touh Send-Cole (1977), quoted in Hassan and Oyebamiji (2012) reflected that adult

education embraces all forms of educative experience needed by men and women according

to their varying interests’ and requirements in their different levels of comprehension and

ability and in their changing roles and responsibilities throughout life. While Nzeneri (2002)

postulated adult education as education undertaken by adults who need to make up for what

they lost in the formal school system or for those who desire to use their leisure more

meaningful or people who need to acquire new and improved skill in order to adjust to

changes and challenges in technology and or occupation. Therefore, it is the adult of today

who holds the destiny of their nations in their hands and not the children.

Sharan and Brockett (2007) were more concerned with distancing or differentiating it from

child education. Hence, they see adult education as ‘a practice in which adults engage in

systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge,

skills, attitudes, or values.’ UNESCO (1976) defined adult education “as the entire body of

organized process whatever the content, level or method, formal or otherwise, whether they

prolong or replace initial education in schools, college and universities as well as

apprenticeship, whereby persons regarded as adults by the society to which they belong

develop their abilities, enrich their knowledge, improve their technical or professional

qualifications and bring about changes in their attitude or behaviour in the two fold

perspectives of full personal development”. Seya (2014) gave a more comprehensive

definition of adult education, viewing it as a transmission process of general, technical or

vocational knowledge, as well as skills, values and attitudes, which takes place out of the

formal education system with a view to remedying early education inadequacies of mature

people or equipping them with the knowledge and cultural elements required for their self-

fulfilment and active participation in the social, economic and political life of their societies.

The role of adult education in filling the lapses caused by lack or inadequate early education

is the main purpose of adult education. Education on its own is a path to enlightenment. It

plays a key role in improving the functional role of individuals in a community.

The Early Efforts of Adult Education in Nigeria

Since the introduction of adult education in Nigeria, the development has been rather too

slow. As far back as the 14th Century, itinerant Islamic scholars and traders in the Muslim

north of the country taught Arabic literacy through the study of the Koran. Later, Christian

missionaries brought Western education to parts of southern and central Nigeria. The

Christian missionaries on reaching Nigeria as from 1842, undertook the burden of literacy

education in order to advance their evangelical efforts by assisting converts in reading the

Bible, Prayer Books and other religious pamphlets.

In the 20th century, the British colonial government made effort to provide some adult

education programme in Nigeria. In its 1925 Memorandum on Education Policy in British

Tropical Africa, the British Colonial office recommended the implementation of an adult

education in Nigeria, Omolewa (1981).

Irrespective of the efforts to educate the Nigerian citizens through pedagogical and

androgogical, Fasokun (1981) identifies certain causes of adult illiteracy in Nigeria to include

among others:

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

• Problems in primary education (low enrolment rates, high dropout rates, inadequate

facilities, poor teaching / learning materials, irrelevant curriculum);

• Poor enrolment rates in adult literacy programmes,

• High dropout rates linked both to economic problems which force adult learners to

abandon classes in favour of income generating activities.

• Literacy instructors not properly trained in facilitation skills and gender awareness,

• The exclusion of women from adult education programmes;

• Higher drop-out rates among women due to irrelevant curricula and competing

demands;

• Poor access to adult education for “hard” to reach communities, such as nomards,

fishermen, and pastoralistic;

• Failure to sustain literacy rates due to poor resources;

A remarkable effort in the history of adult education in Nigeria was the introduction of mass

literacy campaign in 1946 by the British colonial government. This programme gave room for

adults to get the basic educational foundation which would help them function properly in

their societies. Despite this development, the rate at which the programme progressed was

rather slow. The level of adult illiteracy was on the increase undermining the pace of human

development.

Consequently, life-long learning as an aspect of adult education starts from birth to death.

(Field 2001, Aspin, D. N. & Chapman 2007) postulated life-long learning to refer to the

activities people perform throughout their life time to improve their knowledge, skills and

competence in a particular field, given some personal, societal or employment related

motives.

Lifelong learning is not a provision of a formal parameter of learning but providing second

chances to update basic skills and also offering learning opportunities at more advanced

levels. All this means that formal system of provision needs to become much more open and

flexible, so that such opportunities can truly be tailored to the needs of the learner, or indeed

the potential learner (European Commission, 2007).

It literally implies that learning should take place at all stages of life cycle (from the cradle to

the graves) and in more recent version that it should be life-wide, that is embedded in all life

contexts from the school to the workplace, the home and the community. The learning society

therefore, is the vision of a society where there are recognized opportunities for learning for

every person wherever they are and however old they should be (Green, A. 2002). He opined

that it is a continuous building of skills and knowledge during one’s life that occurs

throughout experience faced life time.

Globally, development cannot take place without education especially basic literacy.

Development, therefore, requires a transformed mind (Adekola&Abanum, 2010). Aderinoye

(2004) cited in Adekola and Abanum (2010) stated that difference between the developed and

undeveloped countries of the world is related to the level of literacy among the populace.

Social transformation becomes the catalyst for social development of man, elimination of

poverty, ignorance and social development.

The Nigerian National Council for Adult Education (NNCAE) was set up in 1971, and it

became the champion of the cause of adult education practice in Nigeria. The body recorded

modest achievements over the year and became a turning point in the planning, execution and

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

assessment of adult and non-formal education programmes. Specifically, the NNCAE act as a

driving force for the advocacy for government recognition to incorporate adult education at

various levels of the educational framework especially at the colleges of education and

university.

An important change came in 1990 when the Federal Military Government established

the National Commission for Mass Education (NMEC), responsible for the organisation,

monitoring and assessment of adult literacy practices in the country. The commission's

activities are decentralised, with offices in the six geo-political zones of the country, the 36

states and all 774 local government areas (Fasokun&Pwol 2008)

Another significant step taken to improve the literacy programme in the country was the

launch of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in September 1999 after the country’s return

to democracy. This program was inclusive of the primary, junior secondary and adult school

programmes. Nigeria's 2004 National Policy on Education placed great emphasis on adult

and non-formal education and focused on the education of marginalised groups, including

nomads and migrants, girls and women, street children and the disabled. As before, federal

agencies are responsible for policy and for the implementation of adult and non-formal

education (Fasokun&Pwol 2008).

The Challenges of Adult Education Implementation in Nigeria

Nigeria is the most populous black nation in the world. Nigeria adult literacy rate was at level

of 59.6 % in 2015, up from 51.1 % in 2008 (Knoema.com), which signifies that a lot of work

has to be done. However, adult education in Nigeria has played a pivotal role in the standard

of education in Nigeria. This form of education has, no doubt, also uplifted the literacy level

in the country. There is plethora of challenges facing adult education as a form of education in

Nigeria.

Adult Education in Nigeria may not be keeping pace with dynamic social challenges

embracing the nation. Although education in general is supposed to be responsive to social

challenges, Nigerian education planners lack the conscientious effort of exposing the adult

education potentials in a developing nation (Akubuilo, Okorie, Onwuka, &Uloh, 2014). This

issue of planning has been a big problem since the departure of the white man after the

colonial era. The leaders of the country have not done well in ensuring a well-designed and

well implemented curriculum.

Literacy instructors not properly trained in facilitation skills and gender awareness is another

problem facing the implementation of adult education in Nigeria. The level of illiteracy and

backwardness in education sector in general has had this factor to blame. There are many

half-baked teachers who in turn either not take the process of education serious or totally

don’t know how to go about effective teaching. There is also the problem of lack of gender

awareness. This is largely due to the cultural outline of the country.

About 40 million Nigerians need to acquire adult education for the nation to achieve the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 according to the Vice Chancellor of the

University of Ibadan (Tayo, 2013) The exclusion of women from adult education programmes

makes realization of this goal unrealistic or impossible even till this day. The population of

women born against the population of men is significantly larger. Hence the slogan “develop

the woman, develop the nation”. The inclusion of women in education and adult education in

particular should be upheld and encouraged.

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

There is also failure to sustain literacy rates due to poor resources, including equipment,

material and teachers, donor dependency and a negative perceived value of education. Of

course, the incidence of lack of educational materials, resources, and teachers is nothing new.

Each administration that comes along, sadly, has done little or nothing to help this issue.

There is now usually an overdependence on donations from NGOs and individuals which has

also in a way supported the negative perception of education.

Adult Education and the Future of Education in Nigeria

Despite the problems that laden education in general and particularly, adult education in

Nigeria, there is enough room and space for improvement. If improved upon, adult education

will help in fostering learning in Nigeria. Movement into other areas of learning is a

significant result of adult education. There is a clear proof that (effective) commitment in

learning gives motivating force to further learning. Manninen (2010) found that 93 percent of

course members said that their cooperation has persuaded them to find out more. Further,

students depicted their advancement by alluding to reality exercises they could now do in a

wide assortment of life settings (regular and recreation practice, work) network and

instructive practice). Fearlessness, discovering voice and opening up to learning were

distinguished by practically all students and appeared to be integral to their point of view on

learning. These results gave improvement in the nature of their lives and become part of their

student character.

Adult education has a way of changing peoples’ attitude and perception to things. A person

who takes an interest in adult learning may vary from the person who does not in terms of

earlier frame of mind. It was found (Feinsteinet et al, 2003) that adult learning is related with

progressively "receptive" points of view on race and specialist, more noteworthy

comprehension of individuals from various foundations, testing recently held convictions and

with a continuing impact on non-extremist sees. Particularly scholastic arranged courses are

most appropriate for opening personalities and by and large interface adult learning to

expanded racial resilience, a decrease in political scepticism and a higher tendency towards

fair frames of mind.

Need to Reposition Adult Education for Social Transformation in Nigeria

The future of adult education, though vague due to present political, social and economic

circumstances of the country could be seen as promising. Akubuilo, et al (2014) outlined five

future anticipated for adult education in Nigeria.

1. Explosion of information and the convenient need of adult education administrations

which would no longer be able to be suited in domain of conventional learning; focuses

request the consideration of instructive organizers.

2. Innovation headways and the pace of availability between learning suppliers and learning

networks have made adult education alluring. Nigeria's Open University is starting to

understand the huge open door that could be mined through separation instructive

contributions that are focused on, to explicit gatherings now predominant for some low

implementation associations. Learning could be gotten non-concurrently regardless of

time and spot. The number getting education through adult education frameworks are

probably going to dwarf those in customary homerooms.

3. The numbers are tremendous and incorporate nearly the youthful and the old of Nigeria's

over expanding populace of more than 150 million. Individuals are starting to

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

comprehend that training is a long-lasting procedure; furthermore, adult education buys

in completely to this way of thinking.

4. There is a need to more likely instruct the populace that adult education offering is fit for

the populace. Numerous Nigerians still accept that education is age explicit. Nigeria

should investigate American Educational System that unites students in casual learning

focusing both in the formal and casual settings such as found in the advanced education

and network learning focuses.

5. The method of educational conveyance will proceed to extend and be separated by its

occasions and geological position. There is a need to veer off from Nigeria's fixed

educational plans to dynamic issues that grasp the nation on the loose.

Adult populace forms the human resources for the development of any country. Adults may

not function effectively and efficiently if not given the pre-requisite education. In this

scenario, an existing adult education is in place but requires repositioning to meet the global

and universal trends. Most of the manpower (adults) of the country are either unskilled, semi-

skilled or none at all. The few skilled and highly skilled adults are threatened by obsolete due

to the fast-growing technological changes in the work place environment (Eyibe 2005). Many

ICT skills have not been mastered by many Nigerian adults and youths who ought to apply

them in their day-to-day activities. This ugly scene therefore, calls for the repositioning of

adult education through the inclusion of ICT in adult education programmes in Nigeria

Anyanwu (2010).

Since no sustainable development in any world can be achieved without people, it becomes

imperative that adult education curriculum be repositioned for national transformation

through the entrenchment of peace education. Adult and non-formal education is a productive

human development investment. Thus, financing adult and non-formal education is an

investment to human development that produces benefits. Some of these benefits are listed by

Okech (2004) citing UNESCO (1997) which states; there is now robust evidence that human

capital is a key determinant to economic benefits and emerging evidence indicates that it is

also associated with a wild range of non-economic benefits such as better health and well-

being. Investment in human capital and, by implication, education has thus moved to the

centre stage of strategies to promote economic prosperity, fuller employment and social

cohesion in countries.

These according to Hassan (2009) will reposition adult learning and participation. The

Nigerian National Council for Adult Education (NNCAE) in its Annual Meeting on 5th

December, 2006 held in Calabar advocated and urged the Federal Ministry of Education not

to merge unrelated parastatals together. This is with a view to repositioning adult education as

a full ministry in other to take its national position in developing the country.

Globally, education is a transformational mechanism which phenomenon is all round

development: socially, economically, politically, culturally, spiritually and religiously.

Agboeze (2014), apt that education is a process of transforming a person positively through

training, teaching and learning to acquire knowledge and skill. Accordingly, Nzeneri (2008)

states adult education as any education given to adults on their social, political, cultural and

economic needs and problems to enable them adjust fully to changes and challenges in their

lives and society. This shows the dynamic nature of adult education. Adult learners are not

homogeneous and any application of a new transformational model or process should be

adapted for individual differences. Knowles, Elwood & Swanson (2015). The dynamics of

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

adult education lies in its potentials of social transformation to individual beneficiaries in

character, skills, literacy, political participation and community development activities. It

transforms adults to a “whole being”.

Adult education has an indirect impact on the young people because it transforms the

orientation of education in adults or older people. This re-orientation is transferred afterwards

to the younger generation. The current administration is giving local government greater

financial autonomy from the state government. This autonomy should be used as a means to

boost grassroot adult education transformation programme to reach the crevices of the

society. Education on every state for every individual and family should be the goal of every

government in power. Therefore, it should be taken as a task that must be done, and all

hindrances and impediments should be taken off.

Perception of Adult Education

Adult education is as old as man itself. It has been available long before the formal school

system came to been. Akinpeln (1988) stated “that if one accepts the Bible story of the

Garden of Eden, Adam, the first student was already an adult at creation and was instructed

directly by his creator outside the school system”. This is the foundation of adult education.

In 1959, the Ashby Commission was set up to determine Nigerian’s human resources needs

vis-a-vis the country’s secondary and higher levels of education for a period of twenty years;

1960 – 1980 (Nwadiani 2004). Nigeria till date still remains one of the developing nations of

the World due to social, economic and political factors like unemployment, over population,

illiteracy among others. Okedara et al (2001) noted that whether narrowly conceived as adult

literacy (functional or not), the extension of elementary schooling to the masses, or whether

more widely as incorporating extension is based on nationally identified need rather than any

individual wants. On the above definitions, it is clear that adult education is an organized

educational process which equips the adult learners’ abilities, enrich their knowledge,

improve their technical or professional qualifications as well as turn them in a new direction

in order to bring about changes in their attitudes.

Consciously, it can be perceived that there are career opportunities for adult education

graduates considering the fact that every society especially developing societies like Nigeria

requires organized educational processes that would impact meaningfully on the learners in

order to be self-relevant. Adult education gainfully enables or equips adult learners in all

these national identified needs in order for them to free their minds from factors or agents

militating against the growth of a nation.

Adult education is perceived as a discipline that provides its client with various career

opportunities in order for them to be useful to themselves and the society. It shapes public

perception on the career developmental choice that are available in the field so that adults can

fully gain their pride of place in the society and as a result promote development. Adult

education provides immediate viable solution-solving mechanism unlike the formal school

where the clients will wait for a “Largess” without immediate solution from their knowledge

and learning.

Conclusion

Adult education even though has a long history, its conceptual meaning has not been properly

understood in developing counties especially in Africa. This is due to lack of understanding

and the plethora of problems associated with awareness, funding and poor policy planning

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

and implementation of adult education programmes. Meanwhile, Adult education has the

potential to improve the life of a number of persons especially if properly planned and

implemented in society. It is therefore important for its goal, mission and practice to be

standardize in the modus operandi to bring about change in people’s attitude to reposition the

subject matter as a discipline. This will go a long way in the crusade to fight against illiteracy,

improve human capital development and bring about societal transformation in Nigeria.

Recommendations

Based on the foregoing, the following recommendations are hereby put forward:

i. There is need to redesign the adult education curriculum to sustain its nomenclature

for qualitative lifelong learning to bring about the needed recognition as a career

discipline in the education system for maximum benefit in Nigeria.

ii. Proper funding of adult education programmes should be encouraged by government

and other stakeholders to make the impact of the discipline felt.

iii. The policies of the government should be designed in such a way that there would be

glaring benefits of adult education in the educational atmosphere of the country.

iv. There is overemphasis of certification. The government should aim at giving

thorough education to the masses and not to uphold the orientation of education for

certification.

v. Professionals and well qualified adult educators only should be employed to teach in

adult education programmes in the country.

vi. Education in Nigeria is so broad that the ministry of education might not oversee the

affairs properly. There’s therefore a need that Ministry of Adult Education be created

to take over the administration of Adult education programmes in Nigeria.

References

Adekola, G. &Abanum, B. (2010). Adult literacy for rural development in Rivers State. A

paper presented at the Annual National Conference of Nigeria National Council for

Adult Education (NNCAE) held at the University of Ibadan.

Aderinoye, R. A. (1997). Literacy education in Nigeria. Ibadan: Ibadan University Publishing

House.

Aderinoye, R. A. (2004). Adult and Non-formal Education and global challenges: Issues and

perspectives. Ibadan: Gabesther Education Publisher.

Agboeze, M. U. (2014). Literacy education. A tool for entrepreneurship skills acquisition and

development in Nigeria. Journal of Adult Education and Development. Department of

Adult Education and External Moral Studies UNN.

Akinpelu, J. A. (1988). On the meaning of Adult Education. Adult education in Nigeria

Vol.4, p.13.

Akubuilo, F. E., Okorie, E.U. Onwuka, G & Ulo, B. (2014). Repositioning Adult and Non-

formal Education for Nigeria educational development. Journal of Education and

Practice Vol. 5, No.9.

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

Anyanwu, T. C. (2010). Adult Education concept and implementation in Nigeria. In Oku,

O.O. Asaibaka, I. P. & Emenalo, F. C. (eds.) Issues on contemporary Nigeria

education. Owerri: Corporate Impression.

Aspin, D. N. & Chapman, J. D. (2007). Lifelong learning concepts and conceptions. In

Aspin, D. N. (ed.) Philosophical perspectives on life learning. Netherland: Springer

Publishing.

Chijioke, N. (2010). Adult education in Nigeria. Retrieved from caponic-

blogspot.com/2010/08/aqdult-education-nigeria-html. Accessed on 9 September,

2019.

Eyibe, S. C. (2005). Curriculum fundamentals of Adult Education. Onitsha: Innoson

Publication.

Ezimah, M.O. (2004). Knowing adult education: Its nature, scope and process. Owerri:

Springfield Publishers Ltd.

Fasokun, T. O. &Pwol, C. (2008). Nigeria: The current situation within the framework of the

international benchmarks. Retrieved September 03, 2019 from

https://www.dvv_international.de/ti/adult-education-and-

development/ausgben/number-71/national-and-regional-reflections-on-

operationalising-the-frame-work-of-the-international-benchmarks/.

Fasokun, T. O. (2005). “Adult education in practice” A Module prepared for DAE 104,

Diploma in Adult Education for Distance Education Unit of the continuing

Education Centre, in collaboration with the Department of Adult Education,

University of Botswane, Gaborone.

Fasokun, T. O. (1981). Development of Adult Education in Nigeria. Indian Journal of Adult

Education Vol.42, nos. 1-2, pp 13 -17.

Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National policy on education, Yaba, Lagos: NERDC

Press.

Feinstein, L. Hammond, C., Woods, l., Preston, J., &Bynner J. (2008). The contribution of

adult learning to health and social capital. London: Centre for Research on the Wider

Benefits of Learning.

Field, J. (2001). Lifelong education. International Journal of Lifelong education -20(1/2), 3-

15.

Green, A. (2002). The many faces of Lifelong Learning: Recent education policy trends in

Europe. Journal of Education Policy. 17 (6), 611 -626.

Hassan, M. A. &Oyebamiji, M.A. (2012). Introduction to adult education. Ibadan: Gabesther

Education Publishers.

Hassan, M. A. (2009). Education Research and Review Vol. 4(4) Pp195 -203.

Knoema (nid). Adult Literacy rate. Accessed on 1 September, 2019 from

https://knoema.com/atlas/Nigeria/topics/Education/Literacy/Adult-Literacy-rate.

Knowles, M., Elwood, F. & Swanson, R. (2015). The adult education and human resource

development. Burlington: Els Science.

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

Lindeman, E. C. (1961). The meaning of Adult Education. Montreal: Harvest House.

Manninen, J. (2010). Wider benefits of learning within liberal Adult Education system in

Finland. University of Eastern Finland.

Merriam, S. Brockett, R. (2007). The profession and practice of Adult Education: An

Introduction. Jossey-Bass. P.7.

Mohanthy, S. B. (1982). Lifelong and Adult Education. New Delhi: A Shish Publishing

House.

National Planning Commission (2004). National Economic Empowerment and Development

Strategy (NEEDS). Abuja: National Planning Commission.

Nnazor, R. (2005). Adult Education in Nigeria: The Consequences of neglect and agenda for

action. International Education Journal, USA, Shannon Research.

Nwadiam, M. &Akpotu, N.E. (2002). Academic Staff turnover. Nigeria Education Journal.

Vol.123.

Nzeneri, I.S. (2002). Meaning and Scope of Adult and Non-formal education. In Kosemani, J.

M. (ed). Introduction to education. Port Harcourt: University of Port Harcourt Press.

Nzeneri, I. S. (2008). Handbook on Adult Education: Principles and practice. (New ed.),

Uyo: Abigab Associates.

Okech, A. (ed.) (2004). Adult Education in Uganda: Growth, development prospects and

challenges. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.

Okedara, J. T., Anyanwu, C. N, Omole, M., &Akinpelu, J. A. (2001). Philosophical

foundation of Adult and Non-formal education: Essay in honour of Professor

Emeritus, James Adelayo. Ibadan University Press.

Omolewa, M. A. (1981). Adult Education Practice in Nigeria. Ibadan, Evans Brothers Ltd.

Ouane, A. (2009). Adult Education for a viable future. Implication for financing and policy.

Adult Education and Development, No. 73, 63 – 74.

Reddy. V. (2012). Adult and Lifelong Education. Daryaganj. New Delhi: APH Publishing

Corporation.

Rogers, A. (1992). Development and adult education learning and development. Lotion Cases

Education Ltd.

Seya, P. T. (2005). Adult Education and African development in the context of globalization.

Adult Education and development No. 65, Pp,95 -118.

Seya, P. T. (2014). Adult Education and African development in the context of globalization.

https://www.dvv_international.de/index.php/article-id=2308clang=1 . Accessed on 9

September, 2019.

Tayo, J. (2013). 40m Nigerians need adult education to achieve MDG Goals. Available at:

nationsonlineng.net. Accessed 2 September, 2019.

UNESCO (1976). Recommendations on the development of Adult Education. UNESCO

General Conference, Nairobi.

Indexed African Journals Online: www.ajol.info

Indexed Society of African Journals Editors (SAJE); https://africaneditors.org/