A civil society organisation has called on the government to turn its attention to the non-formal education sector to increase the country’s literacy rate.

According to the Country Director for Engage Now Africa, Cecilia Amankwah, government investment in the non-formal education sector and skills development will propel the country’s growth.

She made the call at a ceremony in the Volta Region capital, Ho, to commemorate the International Literacy Day.

Ghana’s literate rate according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Institute of Statistics  (UIS) is 76.6 %. Male and Female literacy rate stands at 82.0% and 71.4% respectively. 

A multinational nongovernmental organisation, Engage Now Africa contributed effectively to the increase in the country’s literacy rate training 7,890 persons in its adult literacy program, with 1470 graduating with certificates. 

However, tCecilia Amankwah indicated the country’s literacy rate could have been higher if successive governments had invested enough in the non-formal education sector.

She also urged the government to prioritize training persons in the non-formal sector in skill development programs to compliment her organization’s efforts.

“We are operational in 8 countries nationwide and aiming to ensure persons in the remaining two regions benefit from our programs targeted at improving living standards in Africa,” she added.

Nonetheless, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Maxwell Blagogee asserted that the implementation of the flagship Free Senior High School Education Programme would among other things contribute to improving the country’s literacy rate. 

Engage Now Africa in its quest to make deprived Ghanaians self-resilient has placed 22,734 on a  self-support assistance program where they are being trained in various development skills.