The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) has called on Nigeria’s creative industry leaders to take a frontline role in promoting early childhood development and family wellbeing across the country.

The Director-General of CBAAC, Hon. Aisha Adamu Augie, made the call at the “Entertainers for Nigerian Children” national creative industries mobilisation held at Ogidi Studios in Lekki, Lagos.

*The event which is organised in partnership with Ogidi Studios, and supported by World Bank* brought together key players in film, music, comedy, animation and digital media to explore how storytelling and cultural expression can drive improved outcomes for young children.

Hon. Adamu Augie described the initiative as a movement aimed at repositioning the Nigerian child at the centre of national development.

She emphasised that African civilisation has historically placed strong value on child-rearing through culture, oral traditions and community life.

“Our ancestors never separated art from life or culture from child-rearing, noting that storytelling, music, proverbs and communal practices traditionally served as early learning systems long before formal schooling structures emerged” the DG noted.

She highlighted the urgency of the initiative, citing data that shows Nigeria carries one of the highest burdens of child stunting globally, with only a fraction of children reaching age-appropriate developmental milestones and participating in early childhood education programmes.

According to her, the first five years of life from conception to age five represent the most critical stage of brain development, shaping future educational achievement, productivity and national growth. As Nigeria’s population is projected to reach 375 million by 2050, she warned that failure to invest in early childhood development could undermine the country’s demographic potential.

Hon Adamu Augie urged entertainers and content creators to deploy their platforms as tools for positive behavioural and social change, arguing that creative content can influence parenting practices, nutrition awareness, early learning and shared care-giving responsibilities.

“Music reaches where policy cannot. Animation speaks to the heart where statistics fail. Storytelling reframes what it means to be a responsible father, a nurturing mother and a protective community,” she said.

She explained that the Creative Industries Coalition for Nigerian Children seeks to mobilise the sector to reframe care-giving as a national priority, promote healthy family practices and make early stimulation and nutrition culturally aspirational.

The Director-General further stated that CBAAC was established to ensure African arts and civilisation remain living instruments for solving contemporary challenges, rather than existing solely as archival heritage.

She called for collaboration among government institutions, the private sector, development partners and creative professionals to build a sustained national movement focused on the well being of children.

The Lagos summit marks the beginning of what organisers described as a long-term effort to integrate culture, entertainment and advocacy in advancing early childhood development across Nigeria.

Hon. Adamu Augie urge stakeholders to unite in building a society where every child is supported from the earliest stages of life.