The National Commission for Mass Literacy and Non-formal Education (NCMLNE) has urged state governments to join hands with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his resolve to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

The commission said the states could key into President Tinubu’s plan by empowering the citizens, particularly the youth and women, with functional education and skills necessary to make them not only self-reliant but also small employers of labour.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Prof. Simon Akpama, gave the charge in Abeokuta  at the flag-off of Literacy through Economic Empowerment Strategies (LEES) and the graduation of 18 people who completed their literacy skill under the auspices of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education.

The 18 graduands from Ogun State were empowered with start-up kits in the areas of tailoring, hairdressing and home economics, among others.

Akpama revealed that the agency was focusing on capturing the 13 million out-of-school children in the country and equipping them with functional literacy and skills that would make them useful to themselves and the society.

Also speaking, Governor Dapo Abiodun, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, commended the Federal Government and the commission for the project and for making Ogun the host in the South West zone.

The governor said the state government had already started doing some things to complement the President’s efforts, revealing that his administration’s social security women empowerment programme, tagged ‘Okowo Dapo,’ meant to assist small business owners in the state, has benefited no fewer than 50,000 women since inception during his first tenure.