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Early Childhood Care Development & Education

About the Department

Early Childhood Care Development Education (ECCDE) is an educational programme concerned with the total care, support and education of children aged 0–5 years, catering for learners in this age bracket prior to their readiness for formal education. In some cases it is known as pre-primary education and the two terms can be used interchangeably. This department under RSUBEB is saddled with the responsibility of ECCDE policy implementation, involving the process of monitoring, evaluating, regulating, and ensuring quality standards and delivery of instructions in the centres. Available records from the 2024/2025 ECCDE statistics show that there are presently 675 functional ECCDE centres out of the 965 Primary Schools in the state, with 45,331 learners, 563 ECCDE Teachers, and 23 ECCDE Desk Officers in the 23 Local Government Education Authorities of Rivers State.

Director's Profile

Shulammite Ozioma Wokeh

Director, Early Childhood Care Development & Education

Shulammite Ozioma Wokeh is the Director of the Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) Department at the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB). She oversees the implementation of ECCDE policy across all 23 Local Government Education Authorities in Rivers State, providing strategic direction for the monitoring, evaluation, regulation, and quality assurance of pre-primary education centres throughout the state.

Under her leadership, the department has successfully conducted capacity building training workshops for ECCDE teachers across all three senatorial districts of Rivers State, with notable programmes in November 2023 and May 2025, training over 490 teachers in modern child-centred methodologies including Reggio-Emilia and Learning Through Play (LTP).

She is currently leading the department's review of a new scheme of work aligned with the recently released UBEC/NERDC/UNICEF ECCDE Curriculum and Teachers Guide, with full implementation targeted for the 2026/2027 academic session.

Functions

  • Ensuring policy sensitization and advocacy for ECCDE across all 23 LGAs.
  • Making provisions for ECCDE activities and programmes in the RSUBEB line budget.
  • Active participation in the National/State ECCDE Co-ordinating Committee.
  • Regulating the establishment and registration of pre-primary facilities.
  • Monitoring and evaluating ECCDE implementation across all centres in Rivers State.
  • Developing and implementing ECCDE capacity building programmes for parents, caregivers, and teachers.
  • Organising and co-ordinating training workshops for caregivers.
  • Organising and collecting data on ECCDE/Pre-Primary facilities via the ECCDE Desk Officers in LGEA offices.

Department Structure

The department is headed by a Director, supported by Evaluators/Supervisors, a Secretary, a driver, and three other support staff. The Commissioner in charge of Quality Assurance oversees the activities of the department. ECCDE Desk Officers in each of the 23 Local Government Education Authorities serve as field representatives, ensuring grassroots implementation and data collection.

Progress Made So Far

ECCDE Trainings

  • Successfully carried out the 2021/2022 ECCDE Teachers Capacity Building Training Workshop in November 2023, across all 3 senatorial districts of Rivers State — 150 ECCDE teachers were trained in Reggio-Emilia and other child-centred methodologies.
  • In conjunction with the Teachers Professional Development (TPD) Department, successfully carried out the 2023/2024 ECCDE Teachers Capacity Building Training Workshop in May 2025, across all 3 Senatorial Districts — 340 ECCDE Teachers were trained in Learning Through Play (LTP) and other child-centred methodologies.

Challenges & Constraints

  • Inadequate funding at the ECCDE RSUBEB level.
  • Inadequate logistics for proper monitoring of the centres.
  • Lack of teachers with special skills and training for the centres.
  • Lack of minders to support the teachers.
  • Decline in enrolment due to communal crisis and lack of teachers in the centres.
  • Lack of emphasis and negligence especially on the part of some Primary School Heads and stakeholders.
  • No provision of learning materials appropriate to the age of learners in the various centres.

Ongoing Activities

  • The department is currently reviewing a new scheme of work for teachers to reflect the new ECCDE Curriculum/Teachers Guide, recently released by UBEC in collaboration with NERDC and UNICEF, for easy teaching, learning, and lesson preparation.
  • The New Pre-primary Child Development Checklist/Report Card is being modified to align with the new teaching methods in ECCDE to meet local needs and realities, to be fully implemented by the 2026/2027 academic session.

Future Activities

  • The department looks forward to embarking on step-down training for teachers and Desk Officers of all 23 LGAs on the new curriculum and teachers guide, and new lesson note planning before the beginning of the 2026/2027 academic session in September 2026.
  • The department also hopes to organise a strategic stakeholders meeting for more advocacy and sensitization on ECCDE priorities and goals.
  • With concerted effort by all stakeholders, the goals of ECCDE in Rivers State will be fully attained.