Abuja: The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening Early Childhood Care and Development Education (ECCDE) as a foundation for quality basic education. Alausa made this pledge at the Annual Integrated ECCDE Consultative Committee Meeting, which was held in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the meeting gathered stakeholders from across the education sector. Dr. Alausa, represented by the Director of Basic Education, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, emphasized the critical role of ECCDE in children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. He highlighted the ministry’s adherence to the National Policy on Education and the National ECCDE Policy as guiding frameworks.
“This meeting is timely, as it provides an opportunity to review the 2025 ECCDE implementation report, assess progress across states, and identify persistent challenges,” Dr. Alausa stated. He identified challenges such as funding, workforce capacity, coordination, learning environment standards, and monitoring mechanisms. The consultative forum aligns with the ministry’s priorities of improving learning outcomes, strengthening accountability, promoting data-driven planning, and ensuring safe and inclusive learning environments.
The minister called for stronger collaboration among the federal ministry of education, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), state ministries of education, and relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). “As preparations commence for the 2026 implementation cycle, I urge stakeholders to translate lessons from 2025 into clear actions, realistic targets, and measurable indicators that will improve ECCDE delivery nationwide,” he said, commending UBEC, state ECCDE desk officers, development partners, and other stakeholders for their continued support.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, underscored the importance of strengthening ECCDE in Nigeria through effective policies, partnerships, and implementation frameworks. Represented by her Special Assistant, Ibrahim Gold, Garba noted that the consultative meeting aimed to review the 2025 ECCDE implementation report, identify gaps and challenges, and propose practical solutions for quality implementation in 2026.
“The proposed ECCDE implementation guidelines will enhance coherence in the application of the ECCDE policy and minimum standards, improve resource utilization, and provide costed operational plans for ECCDE delivery,” Garba explained. She expressed optimism that challenges, such as micronutrient deficiencies affecting millions of children under five years, would be addressed through effective implementation of the guidelines. The UBEC boss outlined the objectives of the meeting to include reviewing progress, sharing best practices, strengthening partnerships, and charting a clear path for the National ECCDE Implementation Guidelines.