The Osun State Government has launched a comprehensive Early Childhood Development (ECD) Strategy designed to tackle growth delays and disabilities among children aged zero to five years.
The initiative, unveiled at the state Ministry of Health conference hall in Osogbo, positions Osun as the pilot state for the programme in Nigeria.
The project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), and the UK Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), under the Global Health Workforce Programme.
It is funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care, with technical support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and other international partners.
The ECD strategy aims to improve early detection and intervention for developmental delays and disabilities while promoting nurturing care for children across health, education, and social welfare sectors.
It outlines a structured framework that includes guiding principles, programme areas, implementation pillars, and mechanisms for monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning.
During the launch, Osun State Commissioner for Health, Jola Akintola, confirmed that the government had formally adopted the initiative and would present it to the National Council on Health.
He emphasised that the programme aligns with Governor Ademola Adeleke’s Quality Healthcare Action Plan.
Key stakeholders—including representatives from WHO, UNICEF, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and the Ministry of Education—underscored the critical role of early childhood development in ensuring children not only survive but thrive.
They highlighted the importance of proper nutrition, healthcare, and responsive caregiving during the first five years of life.
The Team Lead of the ECD Project, Dr. Oluwatosin Olorunmoteni of OAUTHC, stressed that the strategy is both cost-effective and transformative, ensuring that every child, regardless of their circumstances at birth, benefits from developmental screening and care.
She noted that Osun is the first state in Nigeria to publicly present a multisectoral ECD strategy, describing it as a step forward from merely safeguarding survival to ensuring children reach their full potential.
Other speakers, including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Adekunle Isiaka, and the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr. Oluwole Fabiyi, pledged support for scaling up the programme across all local governments.
Development partners also signed a Statement of Commitment to ensure that children in Osun receive adequate nutrition, healthcare, early learning, and protection from stigma.
Professor Adesegun Fatusi, a consultant to the project and former Vice-Chancellor of the Ondo State University of Medical Sciences, was recognised for his contribution to developing the strategy.
The launch concluded with stakeholders reaffirming that the success of the strategy depends on collective action across sectors, with a call for other Nigerian states to replicate Osun’s model.
