(UBEC) and the Federal Ministry of Education
yesterday hailed the Ekiti State government on
the establishment of the Early Childhood
Development Centre.
The Acting Executive Secretary, UBEC Education
Department, Prof. Charles Onocha and the
Director of the Basic and Secondary Education
Department, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr.
D.C. Uwaezuole, spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti,
the Ekiti State capital, at the inauguration of
the Centre.
Others at the inauguration, which was
performed by Governor Kayode Fayemi, include
the governor's wife, Bisi; House of Assembly
Speaker Adewale Omirin; Head of Service
Bunmi Famosaya; Secretary to the State
Government (SSG) Ganiyu Owolabi and the wife
of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Olori Abosede
Adejugbe.
Onocha and Uwaezuole urged Fayemi to
introduce the project to the Nigeria Governors'
Forum (NGF), using the State Peer Review
Mechanism (SPRM).
The SPRM was designed by the NGF to
accelerate development in states through
periodic reviews of progress on policies, plans
and programmes.
It enables governors to share experiences, as
well as reinforce commendable and innovative
practices.
Ekiti Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu,
who doubles as the chairman of the State
Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), said
the administration was determined to lay a
solid foundation for quality education.
She said the rehabilitation of schools and the
provision of furniture were part of efforts to
improve enrolment in public schools.
Explaining that Agenda 4 of the Eight-Point
Agenda focuses on Education and Human
Capital Development, Mrs. Adelabu said: "This
Early Childhood Development Education Centre
is aimed at achieving this goal because the
children brought up in the centre will
invariably graduate to the government primary
school close to the Centre."
She said the Centre, situated on the premises
of the State Secretariat, will make life easier
for nursing mothers in the civil service.
Onocha, who was represented by Prof. Rasheed
Aderinoye, described the establishment of the
Centre as a landmark in education.
He said: "The inauguration of this Mega ECD
Centre today is noteworthy, as Ekiti State and
SUBEB, in particular, have complied with the
UBEC policy. The occasion shows the
commitment of the governor and his deputy,
who I understand oversees SUBEB.
"The Mega Centre undoubtedly will be a
reference point for the development of other
centres in the states. It will also be an initiative
to be emulated by other states.
"I call on other SUBEBs to emulate Ekiti State
in giving priority to Early Childhood
Development by providing quality
infrastructure that are age-appropriate."
Uwaezuole, who was represented by Mrs.
Sherifat Adaba, said: "Your Excellency, by
setting up this centre, you have demonstrated
that the future nurturing of the Nigerian child,
albeit Ekiti children, is one of the priorities of
your forward-looking government.
"Early Childhood Education is the foundation
for early learning and this explains why a
policy on Early Childhood Development was
developed to encourage government's
participation in early childhood education
delivery."
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