ADULT LITERACY, SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND ACTIVE AGING IN NIGERIA: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE

Abstract

Adult literacy refers to the education that equips adult learners with necessary literacy, numeracy and other important skills needed by the learners to perform optimally within their families and the communities they belong to. Besides, it is a good platform through which social participation among adult learners could be enhanced. Despite these laudable attributes, the acquisition of literacy to foster social participation can be hampered by active aging which has proved to be an unavoidable factor in the life of adult learners. This paper therefore presents a critical discourse of adult literacy, social participation and active aging in Nigeria. In order to achieve this, the paper attempts critical analysis of key concepts like adult literacy, social participation and active aging. It equally raised counter arguments of the three concepts in order to establish the link between them. Based on the discussions in the paper, it was concluded among others, that government needs to do more to encourage adult learners by giving needed supports and required legislation need to be made for adult literacy programmes, individuals and stakeholders need to get more involved in adult literacy programmes in their domains. The older learners themselves should get more involved in social participation to encourage active aging