The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa has reaffirmed commitment to strengthening Early Childhood Care and Development Education (ECCDE) as the foundation of quality basic education and national development.

Alausa stated this in his welcome address at the Annual Integrated ECCDE Consultative Committee Meeting, held in Abuja with stakeholders from across the education sector.

Represented by Dr Folake Olatunji David, Director Basic Education in the ministry, the minister described ECCDE as critical to children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, noting that the Ministry remains guided by the National Policy on Education and the National ECCDE Policy.

He said the meeting was timely, as it provides an opportunity to review the 2025 ECCDE implementation report, assess progress across states, and identify persistent challenges, including funding, workforce capacity, coordination, learning environment standards, and monitoring mechanisms.

According to him, 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.

He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Education, UBEC, SUBEBs, State Ministries of Education, and relevant MDAs.

The minister urged stakeholders to translate lessons from 2025 into clear actions, realistic targets, and measurable indicators that will improve ECCDE delivery nationwide.

Commending UBEC, state ECCDE desk officers, development partners, and other stakeholders for their continued support, he expressed confidence that the outcomes of the meeting would significantly enhance ECCDE implementation in Nigeria.

Earlier in her remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Hajia Aisha Garba, underscored the importance of strengthening Early Childhood Care Development Education (ECCDE) in Nigeria through effective policies, partnerships, and implementation frameworks.

Represented by her Special Assistant, Ibrahim Gold, the UBEC boss noted that the consultative meeting, which she described as long overdue, is designed to review the 2025 ECCDE implementation report, identify gaps and challenges, and propose practical solutions to ensure quality implementation in 2026.

She noted that 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. She added that the guidelines would also strengthen collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), UNICEF, and other key stakeholders, while aligning Nigeria’s ECCDE framework with global best practices.

“The relevance of this engagement cannot be overstated,” she said, explaining that the document, once developed, is expected to improve the use of the Pre-Primary Education Curriculum, promote parental and community participation, and deepen partnership engagement in early childhood education.