Early Childhood Care Development and Education: Impact, Challenges and Prospects in Nigeria

Abstract

Early childhood care development and education is an early intervention
programme that helps detect problems that might inhibit the growth and
survival of the child by nurturing and providing basic skills and ingredients
needed for over all development. This paper presents a conceptual frame
work of early childhood care development and education and the under lying
philosophy asstated in the policy documents. It further examined the
impacts, challenges and future prospects of early childhood care and
education programmes in Nigeria. It recommended that, recruitment of
professional care givers, adopting baseline assessment and sensitization
for stakeholders, providing reliable statistical data and figure, creating a
child friendly environment, proper funding, monitoring and evaluation among
others, will go a long way towards actualizing the lofty dream of early
childhood programmes as a basic component of the on-going universal basic
education scheme in Nigeria.