Introduction

In its online edition of September 7, 2021, The Nigerian Tribune reported Nigeria’s Minister of Education saying that more than 76 million adults, representing 38 per cent of the estimated 200 million population of Nigeria, cannot read and write, while an additional 6.9 million children are out of school. He was then
quoted as saying that:
“Regrettably the advent of COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted the learning of
children, young people and adults at an unprecedented scale which might likely hinder the realization of
SDG Target 4.6”.

SDGs 4.6 Target is to ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030. Its specific aim is to ensure that by 2030, all young people and adults across the world should have achieved relevant and recognized proficiency levels in functional literacy and numeracy skills that are equivalent to levels achieved at successful completion of basic
education.

The broad objective of SDG 16 is to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. It specifically seeks to develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels (16.6); ensure
responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels (16.7); ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements (16.10); promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development (16.b) The aggregate expectation of both SDG 4.6 and SDG 16 Targets is that functional literacy will serve as a critical tool in human development and the sustainability of systems, mechanisms and structures of governance. However, the staggering illiterate population in Nigeria will certainly negate the attainment of these targets with serious consequences for sustainable governance.

The aim of this paper, therefore, is to establish the nexus between critical literacy and sustainable governance particularly in Nigeria. While it specifically argues that the acquisition of critical literacy skills is a necessary condition for citizens’ participation and involvement in sustainable governance, it claims that critical literacy with its roots in text processing can provide opportunities for sustainable societal
transformation. It proposes that the use of mother tongue will better serve the purpose of sustainable
governance.

The conceptualization of critical literacy adopted in this paper stems from Andreotti’s (2014) perspective that challenges imbalances in power and representation on the one hand, and emphasis the social, cultural and historical ‘construction’ of realities and highlights the limits and blind edges of any system of signification on the other hand. Based on this orientation, a critical literacy approach would focus on the production of knowledge/power and enable questions that will lead to a better understanding of social
practices thereby prompting actions that will bring about change.

Sustainable Governance
Generally, governance entails the making of decisions about the direction of an institution. It could be at the levels of democratic, economic and financial, corporate, environmental, religious or even family.

The World Bank in a 1991 paper MANAGING DEVELOPMENT: THE GOVERNANCE DIMENSION defines “governance” as the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development. In very broad terms, it is the system and processes by which a country, an organisation or institution is controlled and operates, and the mechanisms by which it, and its people, are held to account. In other words, it is about the culture and institutional environment in which citizens and stakeholders interact among themselves and participate in public affairs.
Sustainability governance, on the other h and, is the management of organisations in a manner that is both lawful and which promotes a good life for all, now and far into the future.

Governance becomes sustainable only when:

1. It is effectively and efficiently responsive to the present and future needs of society.
2. The political system secures inclusiveness and effective citizen participation in decision making
3. The voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making
4. A social system provides solution to tensions arising from disharmonious development;
5. An economic system that is able to generate surpluses on a sustained basis
6. It is transparent, equitable, consensus oriented, accountable, and follows the rule of law.
7. It assures that corruption is minimized.

Components of Literacy

In today’s 21st century, literacy is conceived, not just as the ability to read and write, but as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. In its description of literacy, UNESCO adopted a functional perspective that highlights; a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society. Abia (2012) argues
that the functional perspective of literacy implies: the ability of an individual to read and write and also use the skills of reading and writing for his daily living. In other words, one who is literate should be able
to read and write and use these skills to provide for his daily needs and also solve problems around him that affect his well-being as an individual and that of the society to which he belongs.
To enable participation, the individual must possess a repertoire of multiple literacy which encode social practices integral to the development of society. This was the position of Aruma (2014) who maintained that literacy provides the individual with clear knowledge of what is happening and how they can contribute to the growth and sustainable development of the society. The multiple literacy include:
1. Critical literacy
2. Digital literacy
3. Digital literacy
4. Media literacy
5. Civic literacy
6. Information literacy
7. Cultural literacy
8. Financial literacy
9. Scientific literacy
10. Technology literacy

The concept of multiple literacy is informed by the belief that there are many ways to relay and receive information, and as such individuals, in today’s world, have to learn how to construct knowledge from multiple sources and modes of representation for their personal development and for them to function effectively as citizens. (Seel; 2012), The affordance provided through multiple literacy are not only viewed as the catalyst for responsive citizenship, they underscore the goals of the National Policy of Education 2004, which include: a. A free and democratic society; b. a just and egalitarian society; c. united, strong and self-reliant nation; d. a great and dynamic society; and e. a land full of bright opportunities for all citizens.
The achievement of these national goals will require concerted efforts from both the government and the citizens to address the myriad of challenges that have constituted a threat to the survival of the present generation and those yet unborn. While policy makers are required to act by generating policy outcomes which when complemented by citizens through responsible lifestyles will produce sustainability. In other
words, it is the complementary actions of both policy makers and the citizenry that will maintain
or improve the quality of social, economic, political, environmental life for present and future generations without placing an unfair burden on future generations.
The burden of sustainability will appear to place a responsibility for knowledge construction, reproduction and dissemination on the key stakeholders in the governance structure.
On the one hand, the management of the decisions about the direction of government will determine
the level of citizens’ compliance, participation and ultimately its success. On the other hand, citizens’
perception and interpretation of government’s policies and programmes will determine their reaction and level of participation and compliance. For instance, in the turn of the new millennium which came with the affordances of information communication technology and its attendant world of disinformation,
misinformation, misrepresentation, fake news etc, the citizenry will be at odds with regards to what
to believe, hence trust between them and the government will be grossly eroded. In such an atmosphere, governance will be difficult because the citizens will base their actions on their perception of the reality as painted by the framers or writers of such information. The need to enable this mutually beneficial interdependence among the stakeholders in the governance architecture dictates the application of critical literacy skills.

Critical Literacy Skills

Critical literacy is basically the ability to actively read texts in a manner that promotes a deeper understanding by questioning the attitudes, values, and beliefs of written texts, visual applications, and spoken words. In other words, critical literacy is the ability to read texts in an active, reflective manner in order to better understand the socially constructed layers of power in human relationships. A text can therefore be defined as a “vehicle through which the codes and conventions of society are communicated by : social actors. In the context of this presentation, the constitution, government releases, newspaper publications, legislative acts, books, party manifestos, songs, conversations, pictures, movies, etc. are all considered texts.
Critical literacy promotes thinking skills that involve the questioning and examination of ideas and socially constructed concepts; such as inequality, marginalization, resource control, insecurity, restructuring, internet frauds, LGBTQIA+ etc. In addition, it requires the reader to synthesis, analyse, interpret, evaluate and respond to the texts read or listened to. Tozer, Senese, & Violas (2009) summarize the importance of critical literacy by stating that beyond the ability to read and write, critical literacy emphasizes the ability to use reading and writing as the basis of higher-order thinking skills that allow a person to analyze and critically evaluate what is read and written or what is heard or spoken.

A critical literacy practice would necessarily expect an individual to make informed decisions regarding societal issues by developing the ability to recognise text, think, and act ethically as democratic citizens. In other words, to become critically literate, one must learn to read in a reflective manner. Three key skills (TTE) are required for any critical literacy practice:
1. Reading/listening (text recognition) skills
2. Thinking skills
3. Evaluation skills

Generally, texts serve as the link between past reality, present experiences and future possibilities. To understand the values, principles and systems upon which the society was built and governed, one must engage texts by reading. In the same way, texts provide a window through which access is gained into the thoughts, intentions, values and directions of today’s stakeholders in the business of governance. While reading brings together the text encoder and the text decoder, language mediates the meaning making process of the text consumption.

Critical Reading Skills
A reading skill or ability is the ability for someone to interact with a text and comprehend the words. In other words, it is the ability to process text, understand its meaning, and to integrate with what the reader already knows. Critical reading on the other hand pertains to a person’s capacity to read, comprehend,
interpret and decode written or spoken language and texts, and understand their meaning. It involves engaging in what you read by asking yourself questions such as, ‘what is the author trying to say?’ or ‘what is the main argument being presented?’

A basic requirement for citizenship participation in governance is the ability to read and listen.
To be able to interact with and process textual information, text consumers need:
 the ability to identify the words (word recognition);
 to understand what the words mean (comprehension);
 to connect words and their meaning so that reading is automatic and accurate (fluency).

It would be near impossible for a largely ‘illiterate’ (who neither reads nor writes) citizenry to become active participants in the governance process. (Data from the ministry of education revealed that as of September 2021, 38 percent of the estimated 200 million population, representing over 76 million adults, are non-literates.) Their lack of the ability to read will constitute the weak link in the chain of sustainable governance as they will not be in any position to understand the policy decisions and directions of government, let alone fulfill their democratic citizenship roles. The intricately interwoven relationship between the individual’s ability to read and act responsibly in favor of societal development is succinctly
captured in the good book, which says, “Write down the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.”
This raises a lot of pertinent questions: Are they implementing/acting on what they are reading (what exactly are they doing with what they are reading)? Are they implementing/acting on what they are reading (what exactly are they doing with what they are reading)?

1. Does Nigeria’s literate population have materials to read (Does the government have a clearly spelt out vision)?
2. Are these Nigerians reading at all?
3. When they do read, do they understand?
4. Are they implementing/acting on what they are reading (what exactly are they doing with what they are reading)?

Perhaps this explains why successive Governments at various levels in Nigeria, through pronouncements and actions, have shown preference for illiteracy. When the people are in a state of paralyzing docility, governments take it as a cue to enthrone the reign of impunity and irresponsibility in governance. For instance, the continued rape of the nation’s treasury by a few politically exposed individuals in privileged
positions of power not only jeopardizes the well-being of the present generation of Nigerians, it compromises the availability of a prosperous economy for the coming generations. Similarly, the irresponsible manner in which kidnappings and killings have been allowed to thrive across the country through the seeming hopeless disposition of the country’s security apparatus and the
complicity of the citizens across the country is treading on the path of unsustainability governance.

Thinking Skills
Thinking Skills are mental processes that are applied when readers seek to make sense of experience. Text consumers can make sense of texts when they interrogate text materials by seeking to find answers to the why, when, how, what etc of the text. An essential duty of the citizenry is to hold those in government
accountable by asking questions about government decisions, policies and plans.

When productively engaged, thinking skills enable text consumers to integrate each new experience (encoded in the text) into the mental models that they are constructing of “how things are.” A corollary to that will be the mapping out of alternative courses of action to sustain positive practices or mitigate or stop practices that are considered to have negative implications for sustainability.
Critical thinking skills enable readers to engage in the following mental processes:

1. Reasoning. Reasoning is the process of using existing knowledge to draw conclusions, make predictions, or construct explanations. Three methods of reasoning are the deductive, inductive, and aductive approaches.

1.1 Deductive reasoning starts with the assertion of a general rule and proceeds from there to a guaranteed specific conclusion. In deductive reasoning, if the original assertions are true, then the
conclusion must also be true. e.g. Flooding is often a consequence of blocked drains.
The drainage system in Lagos is reeling under Lagos will always be flooded.
In deductive reasoning, once the propositions are sound, the rather stern logic applied will produce absolutely certain conclusions. Therefore, while it is possible to make observations and expand implications through deductive reasoning, it will be difficult to make predictions about future or otherwise
non-observed phenomena.

1.2 Inductive reasoning begins with observations that are specific and limited in scope, and proceeds to a
generalized conclusion that is likely, but not certain, in light of accumulated evidence. Conclusions reached by the inductive method are not logical necessities; no amount of inductive evidence guarantees the conclusion.

1.3 Abductive reasoning typically begins with an incomplete set of observations and proceeds to the likeliest possible explanation for the set. Abductive reasoning yields the kind of daily decision-making that does its best with the information at hand, which often is incomplete.

2. Analyzing Skill: Analytical skill is the ability to scrutinize information so as to get to the bottom of things and solve a problem or find an answer. It often involves the ability to identify a problem, investigate to find out relevant facts, and find a logical solution to it.

Five important Critical Thinking Skills

3. Decision-making Skill: While a decision can be described as an act of selection or choice of one action from several alternatives, decision-making can be defined as the process of selecting a right and effective course of action from two or more alternatives for the purpose of achieving a desired result.

4. Evaluating Skill: The goal of evaluating a text is to form an opinion or judgment about the content, quality, or validity of the content with the intent of communicating your opinion to others later. Evaluating a text begins with summarizing the main idea of the text in order to grasp what it is about.

5. Problem solving Skill: This refers to the ability to use knowledge, facts, and data to effectively solve problems. This doesn’t mean you need to have an immediate answer, it means you have to be able to think on your feet, assess problems and find solutions.

Evaluation Skills

Evaluation in critical reading involves examining textual arguments to make a judgement. To make evaluative claims, the reader needs to distinguish fact from opinion, and separate arguments given for and against the various claims. It will therefore be useful to ask some evaluative questions to establish the purpose and the veracity of the text contents. The reader may ask questions relating to:

1. The purpose of the text, e.g. why would a document be released at a particular time and not at another time; what purpose is a “Breaking news” item designed to serve?
2. The writer’s attitude towards the text topic
3. The claims being made in the text
4. the reliability of the conclusions drawn in the light of the evidence presented.
5. the writer’s use of language in terms of the meaning being covered. For instance, what would be the difference between “Fulani herdsmen” and “terrorists”; “unknown gunmen” and “hired killers”?

A key element to critical evaluation is to form opinion or response to the value of the text.
It however must be noted that the tendency to always look for the negative in text production is not synonymous with evaluation. An inherently evaluative exercise can have a positive orientation
while at the same time pointing out the weaknesses of the text. In addition, it is expected that the evaluation should offer solutions (action/recommendation-based).

Language Question in Critical Reading
Language as a vehicle of communication provides a proper channel to express and share ideas that help to create mutual understanding which is a prerequisite for any significant development. Therefore, it is safe to state that the language in which a text is encoded is the central factor affecting the reader’s ability to process a text.
Generally, language embodies the totality of human experience within a specific socio cultural context. It determines the way people think. This is the central idea of the Edward Sapir Nand Benjamin Lee Whorf hypothesis (Sapir, 1983. Whorf 2012) which holds the belief that the structure of a language determines a native speaker’s perception and categorization of experience. The Sapir–Whorf linguistic relativity
hypothesis hinges language users’ perception of reality on the cognitive affordances made available by the language they speak.

Consequently, it could be argued that the language in which a text is constructed ultimately shapes the
reader’s perception of the reality being projected by the writers of the text. The acquisition of
language skills will engender better communication (between the text encoder and the text decoder) that is requisite in the maintenance of governance systems and structures for sustainable development of society. To this extent, language literacy can be regarded as the backbone of any critical engagement that contributes to sustainability. If it is true that language literacy (constructed and reproduced in texts) bequeaths a legacy of responsible citizenship and responsive governance to successive generations; then
language certainly plays a big role in sustainable development.

Summary
The interface of critical literacy and sustainable governance could be hinged on the following propositions.
1. Text construction, production and procession are never neutral. As socially
constructed messages, texts work to have us think about and believe certain things in specific ways. Each time we read, write, or create, we draw from our experiences and understanding about how the world works. For example, engaging with texts about government policy on deregulation of fuel pricing,
restructuring, etc, ought to shape the citizens’ understanding of these social issues. However, questioning the perspectives conveyed by the writer will prepare the citizens to produce texts that present counter arguments.
2. Reading and listening to peoples’ concerns or their responses to policy texts (e.g petitions, letter to the Governor, press release, press conferences, etc) enables government actors to know how they are reading and problemating their worlds.
3. Critical literacy practices become transformative when both the citizens and drivers of the governance process develop an ability to think and act ethically by making informed decisions regarding social issues such as power and control, and engaging in the practice of democratic citizenship. By questioning the
unfair privileging of certain dominant discourses in which society engages, people would be better able to contribute to making the world a more equitable and socially just place.
4. Critical literacy is key to making governance more sustainable, and the nation more peaceful and prosperous: its principles and pedagogy should be incorporated into the language curriculum taught in schools
5. The ability to process texts, especially in mother tongues, would enhance the acquisition of knowledge and skills that are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal Target 16.

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