EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION (ECCDE) FOR SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The paper titled ‘Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) for Sustainable National Development’ posits that one of the best and effective way to assume a just and
sustainable nation is by giving ECCDE all the attention necessary through the implementation of the ECCDE policies to ensuring all round (holistic) development for every child. Children
will be equipped through teaching and mentoring with the knowledge of core African values that promotes obeying law and order, respect for elders, sanctity of human lives and the
environment. The paper further discusses ECCDE as a discipline and highlights some of its features that can contribute to building a sustainable nation as enshrined in its objectives. The
paper highlights the importance of putting together all the related efforts in the local realities; using different formal, informal and non-formal settings; re-orienting the program content
towards sustainability; The paper points out some challenges that hindered sustainable national development and finally proffers some recommendations among which Government
and private sectors should join effort and resources together towards developing Early Childhood Care Education in Nigeria.