Oluremi Tinubu Seeks Stronger World Bank Partnership on Early Childhood Development

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to investing in early childhood development, describing it as a critical strategy for improving children’s health, education and future opportunities.

Speaking on Monday while receiving a delegation from the World Bank at the State House, Abuja, Senator Tinubu said Nigeria’s large population presents a significant advantage for national development if properly harnessed through sustained investments in children and human capital.

She said the Federal Government remained committed to programmes that promote the well-being of Nigerians, highlighting ongoing efforts in environmental sanitation, nutrition and public health.

According to the First Lady, her office has continued to work with relevant ministries and the wives of state governors to implement interventions aimed at improving the lives of women and children across the country.

Tinubu also reiterated her commitment to strengthening the school feeding programme, expressing confidence that it would be firmly established before the end of the current administration.

“We are looking forward to school feeding. I can assure you that before we finish our tenure, it would have been properly established because Mr President is very passionate about it,” she said.

Earlier, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Matthew Verghis, called for expanded collaboration with Nigerian leaders to advance the bank’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) agenda.

He said Nigeria remains one of the World Bank’s largest partners globally and occupies a central position in the institution’s five-to-six-year Country Partnership Framework, which prioritises investments in education, nutrition, healthcare and skills development.

Verghis noted that investments in children from pregnancy through age five deliver long-term benefits by improving cognitive development, reducing healthcare costs and helping to break cycles of poverty.

He urged the First Lady to leverage her platform to promote a multi-sectoral approach that would accelerate the implementation of early childhood development programmes across the country.

The World Bank delegation also commended the First Lady’s initiatives, particularly her campaign against child malnutrition, saying they align with the bank’s development priorities.

The five-member delegation visited the First Lady to brief her on the World Bank’s proposed five-year Early Childhood Development programme for Nigeria, which is currently at the technical and analytical planning stage.