Repositioning Adult Education in Nigeria in the 21st Century: Issues and Prospects

Abstract

This paper focused on the issues and prospects of repositioning adult education in the 21st century Nigeria. It has been observed that the understanding of adult education by the relevant authorities as well as other stakeholders in any nation influences its objectives, roles, financing and achievements. For instance, in Nigeria, the National Policy on Education which is the governments’ policy document on education expresses its understanding of adult education as consisting functional literacy, remedial education, continuing, vocational, aesthetic and civic education for youths and adults outside the formal school system. This understanding of adult education in the policy document is limited in so many ways and falls short of contemporary and global understanding of adult education and as in current practice. The paper is of the view that there is need for urgent moves to identify issues hindering the understanding and how adult education could be repositionedto take its pride of place as it is in so many other nations of the world. The paper identified and discussed those issues that need to be addressed in order to fully utilize adult education in the 21st century Nigeria and ways it can be repositioned. Such issues as discussed in the paper included but not limited to non-compliance to international declarations, conception and perception of adult education in Nigeria, inadequate funding and financing as well as repositioning adult education by improving such issues as identified by the paper.