Nigeria continues to face significant challenges relating to children's access to education. At the time of the original ECAN advocacy statement, the Association highlighted the large number of children who were out of school, alongside children becoming orphaned or vulnerable as a result of insecurity.

ECAN emphasized that expanding access to quality early childhood education should form part of a broader national effort to protect children, strengthen communities and provide opportunities for children affected by poverty, insecurity, displacement and other vulnerabilities.

Beyond addressing educational exclusion, ECAN stressed that providing vulnerable and marginalized children with access to quality education can contribute to sustainable peace, social stability, human-capital development and long-term national growth.

The call was made by the Early Childhood Association of Nigeria (ECAN) during its first virtual annual conference, hosted by the Department of Early Childhood and Educational Foundations, University of Ibadan.

The conference provided a platform for stakeholders in early childhood education to examine the role of quality, equity, contextual relevance and inclusive access in advancing early childhood development in Nigeria.

In its advocacy, ECAN stated that Nigerian governments need to increase investment in Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education as part of efforts to address extreme poverty, promote shared prosperity and build the human capital required for economic diversification and sustainable growth.

In a communiqué made available to newsmen by Dr. Ishola Akindele Salami and signed by Dr. Amosun Moses, Dr. Olowe Peter K., and Dr. Olabisi Adedigba, the Association emphasized that Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education is crucial to realizing the full potential of every child and is an important foundation for building a sustainable society.

According to the Association, the Government of Nigeria at all levels should give greater attention to Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education through relevant government bodies and representative institutions, including UBEC and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.

To ensure continuous access of Nigerian children to Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education, particularly during public-health emergencies such as the Coronavirus pandemic, ECAN called for the development of alternative approaches and platforms capable of reaching children and families in different contexts.

Early Childhood Education professionals called for consideration of a separate ministry or government body responsible for Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education.

According to the Association's position, a dedicated institutional structure could facilitate more effective implementation, monitoring, coordination and management of programmes serving young children.

ECAN also called for practical approaches through which teachers in nursery, pre-primary and tertiary institutions can provide children with culturally relevant content and context-based learning activities.

ECAN noted that curricula used for Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education at pre-primary and tertiary levels should be reorganized to sufficiently feature culturally relevant content and ways of learning that reflect the indigenous Nigerian context.

A context-responsive curriculum can help connect children's learning experiences with their communities, cultures, environments and everyday realities.

ECAN called on the Government of Nigeria and development partners, including organizations such as UNESCO and UNICEF, to invest in training programmes capable of equipping teachers and lecturers with the skills required to plan and implement Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education towards the achievement of the 2030 Global Agenda in Nigeria.

ECAN emphasized that when Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education is culturally responsive, equitable and adequately supported, it can contribute significantly to the achievement of the 2030 Global Agenda in Nigeria.

Caregivers and teachers are central to this process because they translate early childhood policies and programmes into meaningful learning and care experiences for children.

ECAN reiterated the need for government and all relevant stakeholders to make deliberate efforts to reach every category of the Nigerian child with quality Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education.

Achieving quality, equitable and context-based Early Childhood Development, Care and Pre-primary Education requires sustained collaboration among government, educators, families, communities, development partners and civil society organizations.