The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has revealed that only 35.6% of Nigerian children aged 36 to 59 months are currently enrolled in any form of Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE). This translates to about 10 million of Nigeria's youngest children not being captured in early learning. The disclosure was made by the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, at a three-day workshop on ECCDE Minimum Standards and Implementation Guidelines in Abuja.
According to Dr. Garba, the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) shows that 46% of children aged 24 to 59 months are developmentally off-track. She linked the poor foundation to learning crisis at higher levels, noting that 70% of Nigerian 10-year-olds cannot read and understand a simple text. Furthermore, out of 5.9 million children who enter primary one each year, only about 2.4 million remain in school by the end of Junior Secondary School (JSS).
Dr. Garba emphasized that there is no cheaper place in the education system to buy results, citing Nobel Laureate James Heckman's research that high-quality birth-to-five programmes yield about 13% return per child annually. She stressed that ECCDE must be treated as an integrated national priority involving health, nutrition, water and sanitation, women affairs, social welfare, and education.
The executive secretary also cited the 2023-24 NDHS, which puts stunting in under-5 children at 40% nationally, 12% in Rivers State, and as high as 65% in Katsina State. She directed states to include ECCDE in their State Matching Grant Action Plans, warning that anything not in the plan will not be funded.
Dr. Garba announced an extension for submission of ECCDE Action Plans from September 30 to October 5, 2026, but warned that late entries will be rejected. She also ordered states to ensure ECCDE centres meet minimum standards on child safety, supervision, safeguarding, food and water safety, and emergency exits.
The executive secretary called for stronger engagement with parents, School-Based Management Committees, traditional and religious leaders to reach children outside conventional classrooms. She also emphasized the need for inclusion of children with disabilities and those in nomadic, riverine, hard-to-reach, and conflict-affected communities.
Acting Director, Special Programmes and Early Childhood, UBEC, Dr. Chijioke J. Onwuzurike, noted that Nigeria has over 45 early childhood delivery channels across health, nutrition, education, agriculture, and social protection. However, these channels are fragmented and duplicate efforts, and states are expected to map and streamline their platforms and establish functional multi-sectoral coordination within the next 18 months.
Key points
- Only 35.6% of Nigerian children aged 36-59 months attend Early Childhood Care, Development and Education.
- 10 million Nigerian children are not captured in early learning.
- UBEC directs states to include ECCDE in their State Matching Grant Action Plans.
