Minister of state for education, Ezenwo Wike said it is 'unfortunate' that the country still has up to 40 million illiterate adults.

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting of the National Mass Literacy Campaign in Abuja, Wike said: "It is unfortunate that after fifty years of independence, Nigeria still has over 40 million people who are illiterate."

The campaign--the first-ever launch in 20 years by the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC)--aims to teach at least 10 million adult Nigerians every year to read and write, using thousands of facilitators.

Wike called for support to enable the mass literacy programmes reach all states and local government areas nationwide, targeting an estimated 46% of Nigerians considered illiterate, more than half of them women and girls.