By: Jacob Aggrey
Engage Now Africa, in collaboration with MTN Ghana and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has marked the 2025 International Literacy Day in Accra.
The event, held under the theme “Promoting literacy in the digital era”, aimed at celebrating adult learners, raising awareness on the importance of literacy, and highlighting how technology can be used to improve education and livelihoods.
As part of the programme, MTN Ghana educated participants on fraud awareness and best practices in using mobile money. Short videos were also shown to demonstrate how literacy is creating employment opportunities and changing lives across Ghana.
Speaking at the event, the Country Director of Engage Now Africa, Madam Cecilia Amnkwah, said literacy remained central to the organisation’s mission.
She revealed that over 20,000 men and women had benefited from their adult literacy programme since it was launched in 2017.
She stressed that “it is never too late to learn,” adding that digital tools such as smartphones made learning easier and could also help learners market products from vocational training.
Madam Amnkwah further explained that bridging Ghana’s digital divide required stronger partnerships with internet service providers like MTN Ghana.
She noted that internet access was vital to spreading knowledge and empowering learners, and urged stakeholders to work together to ensure affordable and reliable connectivity for all.
On his part, the Principal Programme Officer for Education at the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, Moses Gemeh, underscored the importance of literacy in national development.
He explained that literacy went beyond reading and writing and included digital skills, cultural understanding, and critical thinking.
He said a lack of literacy limited economic progress, adding that improving internet access and making digital devices more affordable were key to bridging the digital gap between rural and urban areas.
Mr. Gemeh also called for deliberate efforts to introduce creative writing, photography, and digital content production in schools from the basic level.
He urged Ghanaians to let literacy reflect in their daily lives, stressing that knowledge gained about issues such as corruption, road safety, and civic responsibility should influence positive behaviour.
The Area Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Patrick Appiah Nti, said the church believed strongly in education because it enabled people to achieve great things. He pointed out that their partnership with Engage Now Africa was a way of giving back to society.
He encouraged all Ghanaians to seek personal improvement through literacy and invited the public to visit the church’s branches across Ghana to learn more about its teachings.
International Literacy Day is marked globally every September 8 to raise awareness of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human i
Engage Now Africa has committed to enrolling more people each year, with women forming the majority of participants.
The organisation has also been providing schools and learning facilities in deprived communities to support the fight against illiteracy.
