As part of efforts to promote childhood literacy in Nigeria, audit, tax and advisory firm, KPMG has launched the Family for Literacy program, (or KFFL) in Nigeria, starting with a donation of over 4,000 brand new books to 1,215 Lagos State primary school pupils.
The program kicked off on the 8th of May in Lagos state’s St. Jude primary school and continued on the 9thwith visits to St. Mary primary school and St. Mary Convent primary schools in CMS Lagos.
The launch of the KFFL in Nigeria is part of KPMG’s commitment to improving society and the communities in which we live and work has always been core to our values. “As a large private sector employer with global reach across markets, we know that KPMG people can play a vital role in combating childhood illiteracy.KFFL creates a unique way for KPMG partners and professionals along with spouses, family members, and alumni to support the firm’s commitment towards enhancing literacy levels around the world. They do this by taking books to classrooms, reading to and tutoring children, and giving books for children to take home,” said KPMG’s Global Head of Citizenship, Lord Michael Hastings in a remark during the kick-off of the programme at St. Jude Primary School in Lagos.
Speaking on why the program was brought to Nigeria, KPMG Nigeria Senior partner and Chairman, KPMG Africa, Kunle Elebute said, “Research shows that the most significant barrier to childhood literacy is a lack of access to books. At KPMG, we understand that literacy is the basic foundation that can help open up new worlds in an individual’s life. However, books and the inspiration to read are not readily accessible to low-income children”.
The program is intended to reach many more schools and several thousands of pupils from low income homes in the next few years, with the next round scheduled to hold in the second half of this year.
According to a UN report on the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, even though more children than ever are going to school, many do not acquire basic skills in reading and mathematics. Recent learning assessment studies show that in 6 of 24 sub-Saharan African countries with data, fewer than half of the students who finished their primary schooling had attained minimum proficiency levels in reading.
KPMG’s KFFL program is designed to combat childhood illiteracy by providing books to children from low-income families. This program directly addresses the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal No 4, focused on improving quality education.Since its inception in 2008, KFFL has distributed over 4 million new books to low-income children in over 100 communities across the United States. KFFL translates across borders having spread through KPMG’s global network to India, Mexico, South Africa, Zambia, the U.K., Kenya, Canada and China.
