By Muhammad Sabiu
All is set for the launch of the copy of the Nigerian constitution (1999), which was translated into Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba by Prince Ade Ajayi Foundation Centre for Constitutional Literacy and Civic Education.
President of the foundation, Mr Ajayi, made the disclosure to journalists in Lagos on Friday.
He said that the translation work into the three languages, whose launch is scheduled to be held on the 25th day of November, took them six years.
According to him, the task aims to promote unity, national orientation.
He added that a book titled ‘I Love Nigeria, My Country’, would also be launched in the hope that national cohesion would be enhanced.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted him as saying: “Of 4,000 Nigerians randomly sampled in urban areas, over 80 per cent had never seen or read in whole or part, a soft or hard copy of the 1999 constitution.
“Of those who had, more than half could not recall what they had read. The statistics in rural areas are abysmal, largely due to literacy levels.
“We believe that the first step in national orientation is adequate civic education. This cannot take place where citizens do not have access to the one document that can most wholesomely, inform them.”