The Kaduna Basic Education Accountability Mechanism (KADBEAM), is mobilising stakeholders to strengthen Early Child Development (ECD) in Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that KADBEAM is collaborating with Lafiya, a UK support for health in Nigeria.
KADBEAM Assistant Secretary, Mr Joshua James said at the meeting in Kaduna on Monday, that the stakeholders were mobilised to review the status of ECD in the state.
According to him, the goal is to identify bottlenecks and make recommendations to strengthen implementation of ECD programmes in the state.
“The meeting is also to facilitate stakeholders’ coordination and identify opportunities for advocacy to decision makers to facilitate ECD implementation and strengthening.”
Mr Elkana Aliyu, Accountability and Advocacy Coordinator, Lafiya, said that stakeholder’s coordination and evidence-based advocacy was key to effective implementation of ECD.
Aliyu said that the activity was aimed at understanding the state context, policy and funding constraints as well as understand the power dynamics and key influencers and change agents for ECD in the state.
The facilitator, Dr Lawal Abubakar, a consultant, said that early childhood was a critical period of human development, adding that strong evidence exists on the significant benefits of quality ECD interventions.
Abubakar, however, said that in spite the apparent need, early childhood programmes remain severely underfunded leading to poor execution of ECD programmes.
He also attributed the challenge of ECD to little public understanding of the importance of a child’s early years and limited public demand for policies, programmes, and funding gaps.
“At the moment, about 50 per cent of under-fives are malnourished, with 48 per cent of them stunted.
“Stunting leads to diminished physical and cognitive development, reduced productive capacity and household income, with increased risk of degenerative diseases in later life.
“This can affect development and negatively impact the economy,” he said.
Also speaking, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, the Director- General, Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, commended KADBEAM and Lafiya for their support to strengthen ECD in the state.
Ahmed said that the state was creating an enabling environment for the private sector to support the government in providing quality early child education in the state.
“The government is doing the best it can but needs the support of all relevant stakeholders to effectively implement ECD programmes in the state,” she said.
Similarly, Mr Istifanus Akau, of the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn, a UK supported governance programme, commended the state government for the ongoing reforms to provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning.
Akau pledged the programme’s continued support to improve governance and service delivery particularly, girl education in the state.
Also speaking, Mr Elisha Francis, Education Officer, UNICEF Kaduna, said that the ECD has a multiplier effect on the national economy, stressing that stakeholder’s coordination was critical to developing a road map for effective ECD programming.
Francis said that UNICEF would continue to provide technical support on all issues affecting children in the state. NAN)
