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International Literacy Day 2025: Shaping the Future Through Reading and Digital Skills
Every year on September 8, the world marks the International Literacy Day, a day dedicated to reminding us how powerful the ability to read, write, and learn truly is. What began in the late 1960s as a UNESCO initiative has grown into a global tradition that highlights the link between literacy and human progress.
This year’s theme, “Promoting literacy in the digital era,” calls attention to a new reality. Reading and writing remain the foundation, but in today’s connected world, literacy also means knowing how to navigate technology, spot reliable information, and use digital tools effectively. In short, being literate today is no longer just about books, but it’s also about screens.
Despite major strides in education, the numbers tell a worrying story. Millions of adults and young people still cannot read or write. Millions of children remain out of school, and many who do attend struggle to reach basic reading levels. On top of that, those without internet access or digital devices risk being left behind a second time—excluded from both the traditional classroom and the digital one.
That’s why this year’s focus on digital skills is so important. The internet has become central to how people work, study, and even engage in civic life. Experts now describe digital literacy as just as essential as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Schools are being urged to integrate these skills into daily learning, and governments are being called on to bridge the digital divide for marginalized communities.
In Paris today, UNESCO is hosting its annual Literacy Day global celebration and prize ceremony, bringing together educators, policymakers, and activists from around the world. But beyond official gatherings, communities everywhere are finding creative ways to join in through book drives, reading clubs, digital workshops, and awareness campaigns.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid tribute to late Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs, recalling his contributions to the creative industry and his impact on Nigeria’s cultural identity.
In his tribute, Tinubu described Jacobs as a giant of the Nigerian creative industry and said “He was a giant of the Nigerian creative industry. His passing is a great loss to Nigeria, the African film industry and the global community of lovers of the performing arts. His remarkable body of work will continue to speak to generations yet unborn.
“The nation recognises the enormous contributions of Nigeria’s creative practitioners to the country’s cultural identity, global image and economic development. Olu Jacobs played a big role in creating this identity.”
Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria.
Adeyanju also called for the removal of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, as well as the heads of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Nigerians are being exposed to dangerous products daily, from fake and substandard medicines to unsafe consumer goods, with reports of drugs being sold wholesale in the open under the hot sun. No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise.”
Adeyanju also called out NAFDAC over what he described as failures in regulating the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in the country.
It can be noted that various counterfeit products continue to circulate in Nigerian markets, while NAFDAC has also reported seizures and destruction of counterfeit, expired and substandard products.
Lagosians have lamented heavy traffic caused by ongoing construction work at Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Federal Government announced that repairs on the damaged expansion joints at Kara Bridge would begin on September 8, 2026. The project, initially scheduled to begin in August, was delayed to allow further traffic management planning due to concerns over its impact on motorists.
Since work began, traffic around the Kara area has become heavy, with Lagosians sharing updates on social media about spending two hours or more on the road.
Some commuters say the delays have made their 9-to-5 routines difficult, with several hours spent travelling to and from work.
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