Oando Foundation has commissioned 10 newly upgraded early childhood care and development (ECCD) centres across four public primary schools in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The intervention, executed under the foundation’s Supporting Early Childhood Education and Development (LEARNOVATE-SEED) initiative, reinforces its commitment to improving learning outcomes for young children and promoting inclusive and equitable education systems in Nigeria.

The foundation is an independent charity established to support the Nigerian Government in achieving its Universal Basic Education (UBE) goals. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), only one in three children is enrolled on early childhood education in Nigeria, underscoring the urgent need for increased investment in ECCD.

The LEARNOVATE-SEED initiative addresses this gap by improving access to quality early learning through upgraded infrastructure, provision of age-appropriate instructional and play materials that foster cognitive and social development, and enhanced teacher capacity through targeted training on modern ECCD pedagogy.

In addition, the initiative directly supports Sustainable Development Goal – Four (SDG-4), which emphasises that all girls and boys must have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education.

The project included the donation of 720 ergonomic ECCD chairs, 120 ECCD tables, wall-mounted whiteboards, bookshelves, playmats, and digital learning aids such as 50-inch LED televisions preloaded with age-appropriate educational content.

Each classroom was also fitted with visual learning tools, educational displays, and reading corners to stimulate curiosity and creativity among pupils.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Tonia Uduimoh, Head of the Oando Foundation, underscored the significance of investing in early childhood education as the foundation for long-term learning outcomes.

She said: ‘As an indigenous organisation that draws a significant pool of its talent from the local labour market, it is important that we contribute meaningfully to national development, especially in building human capital.

Uduimoh noted that the foundation’s goal is to help restore the lost glory of public schools. We see ourselves as collaborators with the government — doing our part to ensure that the next generation is better prepared to add value to society, and to organisations like ours, when they enter the workforce.

The Chairman, Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), represented by Director of Administration and Supplies, Mrs Mina Tolofari, commended the foundation for the upgrade to early childhood classrooms.

Complementing the physical transformation, the foundation facilitated a two-day, hands-on teacher training programme for ECCD educators, head teachers, education officers, and caregivers across the 10 learning centres. The training equipped teachers with practical tools to deliver high-quality early learning, focusing on child development, curriculum delivery, inclusive classroom practices, outdoor and experiential learning, and effective application of the national ECCD Education curriculum.

Teachers were also guided on tailoring instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners, including children with learning difficulties or physical disabilities.