Literacy: Rivers Tops In NDHS Survey

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (right), receiving an address from Gbeneneme Gokana Kingdom, King Bagia Barnabas, on behalf of Gokana Council of Chiefs, during a courtesy visit at Gokana Local Government, recently.

Rivers State has the highest number of literate women in the whole of the Niger Delta, according to the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey.

The NDHS report was unveiled last week in Port Harcourt by the Federal Commissioner representing the state in the National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Moses Ofori.

A breakdown of the report shows that 84 per cent of Rivers women between the ages of 15-49 are literate, Delta 77 per cent, Edo 76 per cent, Bayelsa 72 per cent and Cross Rivers 70 per cent.

On the male side, the state was slightly beaten by Bayelsa which topped with 96 per cent of male literacy followed by Rivers State with 95 per cent.

Delta has 89 per cent, Edo 88 per cent, Akwa-Ibom 85 per cent and Cross River with 79 per cent, while the whole of the South-South had 89 per cent.

Chief Ofori disclosed that the NDHS Survey was conducted between June 2007 and October 2008 and is the fourth national demographic and health survey conducted in the country.

The Rivers State NPC Federal Commissioners explained that the survey would serve as an instrumental for national planning and policy formulation, nothing that the exercise is one of the core mandate of the commission.

The survey report which has already been endorsed by President Yar’Adua according to Chief Ofori was released following call by the stakeholders.

The main objective he maintained is to collect data on health issues, especially sexual practices, nutritional activities, children and women mortality trend, use of drugs and malaria with the aim of addressing them.

Chief Ofori therefore commended United States Action for Aids and ICF Macro for providing technical assistance in the design and implementation and analysis of the survey.