By: Tijani Salako.

The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), in collaboration with Ogidi Studio, has launched a Creative Industries Coalition for Early Childhood Development (ECD), describing it as a strategic effort to reposition Nigeria’s youngest citizens at the heart of national development.

The Director-General of CBAAC, Aisha Adamu Augie, announced the initiative during a press briefing in Lagos State, noting that the coalition is currently at a soft-launch stage.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos, Hon Adamu Augie explained that the initiative seeks to advance early childhood development through storytelling, cultural expression, and behavioural change campaigns, with the aim of mobilising Nigeria’s creative sector in support of young children.

CBAAC, the cultural diplomacy arm of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, is widely recognised as the custodian of artefacts and archival materials from the historic African Festival of Arts and Culture 1977 (FESTAC ’77). The agency also houses returning artefacts, music, video and sound recordings, and operates a research and publication unit grounded in Pan-African perspectives.

“We are one of the few Pan-African agencies in Nigeria,” Augie said, noting that CBAAC’s mandate extends beyond the arts to broader questions of civilisation and societal development.

The coalition’s focus is on the first five years of life, a period widely regarded as critical to child development. The Director-General emphasised that more than 90 percent of brain development occurs from conception to age five, making early intervention essential.

According to her, children who receive proper nutrition, quality healthcare, responsive caregiving, early stimulation, and safe, nurturing environments are more likely to enter school ready to learn and to thrive throughout their lives.

“Investment in early childhood development represents the earliest and most powerful stage of human capital development. It lays the foundation upon which all later education, opportunity, and economic productivity depend,” she said.

Highlighting Nigeria’s leadership role on the continent in terms of population size and cultural influence, Augie stressed that “if Nigeria gets it right, the rest of Africa also gets it right.”

She noted that Nigeria’s creative industries including film, music, storytelling, animation, digital media, and literature play a powerful role in shaping societal norms and everyday behaviours. These platforms, she said, can be harnessed to influence parenting practices, caregiving norms, nutrition awareness, early learning, emotional well-being, and health-seeking behaviour.

“Mobilising the creative sector offers a unique opportunity to influence how society understands and supports children in their earliest years, helping families, communities, and institutions reimagine what strong beginnings look like,” she added.

The coalition also aims to elevate early childhood development from being viewed as a private family responsibility to becoming a shared national priority.

Hon Adamu Augie underscored the importance of collective responsibility, referencing Africa’s communal value system. While acknowledging the growing global trend toward individualism, she called for a renewed commitment to community-driven support systems that prioritise children and family well-being.

The Creative Industries Coalition for Early Childhood Development will serve as a national platform bringing together leaders across entertainment, culture, public life, and policymaking. Its objectives include using storytelling to shape social norms around caregiving and early childhood well-being; promoting positive family practices that support healthy development in the first five years of life; mobilising creative partnerships for large-scale, nationwide social and behavioural change campaigns; and celebrating the role of culture and creativity in building strong foundations for Nigeria’s next generation.

The stakeholders’ engagement marks the first step toward formalising the coalition and expanding collaboration across government institutions, creative professionals, and development partners.

Hon. Adamu Augie concluded by reaffirming the agency’s commitment to placing Nigeria’s youngest citizens at the centre of cultural expression and national development.