By Ahmed Ahmed
Stakeholders at a three-day North-East State Engagement on Early Childhood Development (ECD) have called on Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe governments to make investments in children’s first five years a development priority.
The stakeholders made the call at the engagement on Monday in Maiduguri, organised to translate evidence on ECD into practical, state-owned action plans capable of improving children’s health, nutrition, learning and overall development.
Representing the Country Focal Point, ECD Nigeria, Dr Ado Muhammad, OON, Mr Alademehin Oladipo of the Budget Office of the Federation, said the question was no longer whether Nigeria should invest in ECD, but how to invest better, coordinate interventions and achieve measurable results.
He said each participating state was expected to develop a credible ECD Action Plan covering priorities, financing, governance, service delivery, accountability and implementation milestones.
Muhammad stressed that ECD was a state-led agenda, noting that the national level and development partners were expected to provide technical support while states determined approaches suited to their realities.
He also emphasised that no single ministry, department or agency could deliver ECD, as it required coordinated action across health, nutrition, education, caregiving, child protection, WASH and other sectors.
Representing the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat, Dr Abdulateef Shittu, Yabalu Abacha said the period from pregnancy to the first five years represented a critical window for establishing the foundations of health, learning and future productivity.
He said all 36 governors, at their June 17, 2026 meeting, reaffirmed that ECD investment was fundamental to improving human capital development.
Facilitator Dr Megor Ikuenobe said the first 2,000 days required adequate nutrition, good health, responsive caregiving, early learning and stimulation, and safety and security.
She urged participants to develop Nigerian solutions that would reach children at ward, community and household levels, stressing that “nobody can do this alone.”
