Efforts of NNCAE in Repositioning Adult and Non-Formal Education for Relevance in Nigeria: The Gender Perspective

Adult and Non-formal education provides the opportunities of responding to individual and societal needs through relevant training and education especially, as being challenged by constant technological change and novel knowledge. Adult Education is thus, problem solving. A major problem solving component of Adult Education is the potentials inherent in lifelong learning. The Nigerian National Council for Adult Education anchors both academic and practice of Adult Education in the nation initially, before a seeming decline in its activities. But since the split between the academic and practical practitioners had occurred, Adult Education had received a setback in its programmes. The question is, at a time of high level of inequality, unemployment and underemployment which may be connected with societal inhibitions and the skills received at various educational institutions of which women are the most vulnerable, what are the efforts of NNCAE in redeeming its professional ethics of providing the right education to the citizenry at a dire need? It is in response to these that this paper assesses and critiques the efforts of NNCAE in repositioning Adult and Non-formal Education for relevance in Nigeria. This paper posits that NNCAE is capable of enhancing a better recognition for Adult Education discipline in Nigerian Universities through its "town gown" activities as it will educate the people on the need for gender equity and enhanced skills that could stem unemployment under employment and gender inequity in the society.