Community-based early childhood training centres are rising as a possible resolution to Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis, significantly in rural communities the place insecurity and transportation prices forestall younger children from accessing formal training.
The method, pioneered by the event Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) in Kano and Jigawa states, includes establishing small, community-run centres the place children can study by way of play, near their properties.
The initiative comes as Nigeria struggles to broaden entry to early childhood training, with the 2026 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) indicating that the nation has made no progress since 2015 in rising attendance on the early childhood care and growth (ECCD) degree.
According to an announcement by the dRPC, the report, launched on 25 March, additionally means that Nigeria will not be on monitor to fulfill its 2030 training benchmark.
The organisation stated the scenario highlights the necessity for different approaches that may attain children who’re excluded from typical education, significantly these in communities affected by insecurity.
The function of insecurity, price of education
Nigeria continues to face vital obstacles to training, together with poverty, insecurity and unequal entry to schools.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that about 10.5 million Nigerian children aged 5 to 14 are out of college, whereas solely 35.6 per cent of children aged 36 to 59 months obtain early childhood training.
UNICEF has additionally recognized financial obstacles and insecurity, significantly in northern Nigeria, as main obstacles to instructional entry.
In the North-west, assaults by armed teams and college abductions have pressured authorities to shut schools in some communities, disrupting studying and leaving children with out protected entry to lecture rooms.
According to the dRPC, excessive transportation prices and fears over children’s security have additionally led some mother and father to maintain children under 5 at house moderately than ship them to distant schools.
The organisation stated the results are significantly regarding in states comparable to Katsina, Zamfara and Kebbi, the place insecurity has disrupted training in rural communities.
How community-based centres work
The dRPC stated its initiative started in 2018, when it supported 43 younger ladies who had accomplished secondary faculty to ascertain community-based ECCD centres.
The organisation skilled the ladies in entrepreneurship, faculty administration, youngster safeguarding, first help and play-based studying.
It additionally supplied studying supplies, toys, colouring supplies and textbooks aligned with Nigeria’s nationwide Integrated Early Childhood Care and Development curriculum.
To set up the centres, the ladies obtained start-up capital to renovate shared areas of their properties and communities.
The dRPC stated it has continued to help them in changing studying supplies and upgrading their services through the years.
Unlike typical major and secondary schools, which usually require extra intensive infrastructure and lecturers with larger formal {qualifications}, community-based early childhood centres may be established with comparatively modest assets.
The mannequin additionally locations play on the centre of studying, permitting younger children to develop early abilities by way of actions suited to their age.
The dRPC stated the initiative has enabled hundreds of children to finish early childhood training and proceed to Local Education Authority (LEA) major schools.
It added that some communities have supported the ladies who established the centres to broaden their operations into major and secondary training.
The organisation described the initiative as a shift in the direction of extra child-centred educating, with feminine lecturers utilizing play-based strategies moderately than corporal punishment.
Interest from different states
The dRPC stated the expertise has drawn curiosity from state governments in search of sensible approaches to increasing early childhood training.
According to the organisation, the Kano State authorities has recognised, supported and registered its community-based centres.
It added that Kano State had expressed help for adopting the Girls-Led, Community-Based ECCD mannequin, whereas everlasting secretaries from Kebbi, Niger, Borno and Benue states had requested help to duplicate the method.
The mannequin has additionally been mentioned as a doable intervention for conflict-affected communities, the place children could face displacement, disrupted education and emotional misery arising from insecurity.
The dRPC stated the centres could present younger children with entry to acquainted caregivers and trusted lecturers inside their communities, whereas creating alternatives for play and early studying.
However, increasing the initiative to different states would require sustained funding, acceptable coaching, safeguarding measures and efficient monitoring to make sure that children obtain high quality training in protected environments.
READ ALSO: dRPC opens functions free of charge coaching for Nigerian NGOs, foundations
Framework for enlargement
Nigeria already has a coverage framework that could help the expansion of non-state training suppliers.
The National Policy on Non-State Schools was adopted by the National Council on Education in October 2024 and formally launched in Abuja on 16 July 2025 underneath the Federal Ministry of Education.
The framework supplies a coverage context for engagement with training suppliers exterior government-owned schools.
The dRPC stated its expertise demonstrates how communities can help tackle gaps in instructional entry by establishing centres which might be inexpensive, accessible and aware of native wants.
With Nigeria going through persistent challenges in getting children into faculty, the organisation stated the mannequin could be replicated throughout northern states, significantly in communities the place insecurity and distance make typical education troublesome.
The problem, nonetheless, is to translate curiosity from state governments into sustained implementation and make sure that community-based centres complement the formal training system.
Discover extra from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the newest posts despatched to your e mail.
