By Ovio Peters
Nigeria’s cultural and creative industry leaders convened in Lagos to reposition early childhood development as a strategic national priority rather than a traditional social welfare concern.
The recent gathering, titled ‘Naija Made in Early Years,’ was hosted by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) with support from the World Bank and Ogidi Studios.
Aisha Adamu Augie, Director-General (DG) of CBAAC, framed the initiative as a return to indigenous knowledge systems that historically shaped early childhood learning.
“The first classroom was never a building but our mother’s lap, our father’s drum and our grandmother’s folktale,” Augie said.
The forum brought together prominent figures in Nigeria’s creative sector including Cobhams Asuquo, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Steve Gukas and Jude Abaga, alongside policy specialists and development partners.
DECISION HIGHLIGHT
The initiative signals a strategic attempt to mobilise Nigeria’s creative industry as a partner in national human capital development, particularly in shaping cognitive development during the first five years of life.
The coalition seeks to align storytelling, music, film and broadcast media with early childhood learning objectives.
DECISION MEMO
The Lagos gathering reflects an emerging policy conversation that places early childhood development at the centre of national economic competitiveness.
While infrastructure investment in Nigeria has historically focused on physical assets such as roads, power and transport networks, development economists increasingly argue that cognitive development during early childhood is one of the most consequential investments a country can make.
Augie emphasised that African societies historically relied on cultural systems such as storytelling, music and communal learning to transmit early knowledge and social values.
However, modern social and economic pressures have weakened many of these informal learning structures.
Augie warned that Nigeria’s traditional early learning architecture is facing increasing pressure from social and economic changes.
Industry voices at the forum framed the issue in stark economic terms.
Fadekemi Olumide, an actress, educator and cultural advocate, argued that the most consequential infrastructure being built in Nigeria today is not physical but cognitive.
Olumide challenged the creative industry to shift attention away from commercially dominant adult-focused content toward programming that supports early childhood development.
The economic urgency of the issue was reinforced by data presented at the event.
Approximately 40 percent of Nigerian children experience stunting, while literacy gaps begin to emerge as early as age four, raising long-term concerns about human capital development.
Cobhams Asuquo, a composer and music producer, highlighted the role of mass media in shaping early cognitive learning.
Asuquo described his own childhood exposure to educational radio broadcasts as formative to his intellectual development.
“Free-to-air is incredibly important,” Asuquo said, emphasising the role of radio and television in delivering information to wider populations beyond urban digital audiences.
Asuquo noted that many Nigerians continue to rely on traditional broadcast media for information related to health campaigns and educational messaging.
Bolanle Austen-Peters, through her “Grandma Wura” storytelling persona, emphasised the emotional and educational value of storytelling in strengthening family engagement with children.
Austen-Peters highlighted the importance of parental participation, particularly the role of fathers, in shaping early cognitive and emotional development.
The discussions also included contributions from filmmakers and musicians who agreed that the creative sector could play a central role in shaping educational narratives for young audiences.
Development partners provided additional economic perspective.
Representatives of the World Bank cited research indicating that every one dollar invested in early childhood development can generate returns of up to thirteen dollars over time.
The coalition now aims to connect child development specialists with writers, filmmakers and musicians in order to embed educational messaging within popular culture.
The strategy effectively positions Nigeria’s creative industry as an instrument of national human capital policy.
However, translating this cultural mobilisation into measurable educational outcomes will require sustained collaboration between policymakers, educators and content creators.
DATA BOX
Event: Naija Made in Early Years
Host: Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization
Supporting Institutions:
World Bank
Ogidi Studios
Child Stunting Rate in Nigeria: 40%
Estimated Return on Early Childhood Investment: Up to $13 per $1 invested
Key Participants:
Aisha Adamu Augie
Fadekemi Olumide
Cobhams Asuquo
Bolanle Austen-Peters
Steve Gukas
Jude Abaga
Strategic Focus:
Early childhood cognitive development
Creative industry participation in education
WHO WINS / WHO LOSES
Winners
Children stand to benefit from improved early learning exposure through culturally relevant media and storytelling.
The creative industry may gain expanded relevance as a partner in national education and social development initiatives.
Development institutions promoting human capital investment may find stronger local partnerships.
Losers
Entertainment content producers focused exclusively on adult-oriented programming may face pressure to diversify toward educational formats.
Traditional education systems that ignore cultural learning channels may lose relevance in early childhood engagement.
POLICY SIGNALS
The initiative reflects growing recognition that human capital development must begin before formal schooling.
It also signals a policy shift toward integrating cultural industries into education and public communication strategies.
The approach aligns with broader development frameworks that treat early childhood investment as a long-term economic strategy.
INVESTOR SIGNAL
The collaboration highlights potential opportunities within Nigeria’s educational content industry, particularly for media platforms producing early learning materials.
Investors in educational technology, children’s programming and broadcast learning platforms may benefit from expanding demand.
Development partners may also increase funding for projects that integrate media with child development programmes.
RISK RADAR
Three structural risks remain visible.
First is implementation risk, as translating creative industry participation into structured educational programming will require coordination.
Second is funding continuity risk, particularly if early childhood initiatives depend heavily on development partners.
Third is content adoption risk, where educational programming must compete with commercially dominant entertainment formats.
The Lagos gathering ultimately signals a growing consensus that Nigeria’s human capital challenge cannot be addressed through formal schooling alone, but must involve cultural institutions capable of shaping learning during the earliest stages of life.
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