The Role of Mosques in Adult Literacy Education in Gombe State

This study investigated the role of mosques as delivery platforms for adult literacy education in Gombe State, North East Nigeria. Mosques represent highly accessible and trusted community institutions in predominantly Muslim communities and hold significant potential as alternative venues for adult literacy programming. The study adopted a descriptive survey design involving 130 adult learners and 20 Imams drawn from mosque-based literacy programmes across three local government areas in Gombe State. Questionnaires, interviews, and programme records were used for data collection. Findings revealed that mosque-based adult literacy programmes attracted participants who were unlikely to attend government literacy centres due to cultural reservations, distance, or time constraints. Learners reported strong feelings of safety, cultural comfort, and motivation within mosque learning environments, largely attributed to the integration of Quranic Arabic alongside functional literacy content in local languages. Programmes facilitated by Imams with literacy training experience were rated more highly by learners compared to external facilitators unfamiliar with Islamic learning traditions. Irregular programme scheduling around prayer times and limited access to secular instructional materials were noted as operational challenges. Recommendations include formalising and strengthening partnerships between the Gombe State Agency for Mass Education and the state's Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, providing structured literacy facilitator training for willing Imams, and developing instructional materials that blend Islamic educational traditions with contemporary literacy objectives. Keywords: mosque education, adult literacy, Islamic communities, Gombe State, community-based learning.