Discussion of the Nigerian government's efforts to improve agricultural productivity focuses on the role of rural libraries. Highlights include the neglect of libraries, the need for functional education for farmers, the role of library services, libraries as distributors of extension materials, and suggestions for improvements. (LRW)

In 2000, approximately 877 million adults worldwide were illiterate and 113 million children did not attend school. More than two-thirds of those individuals lived in East and South Asia, and two-thirds were females. Functional illiteracy remains high in developed and developing nations alike. The reasons include weak training in how to teach…