BRIDGING THE SOLOS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) FUNDING IN BASIC SCHOOLS IN IKORODU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA
Keywords:
Early Childhood Development, Equity in Education, Funding Gaps, Policy Reforms, Quality Learning OutcomesAbstract
Early Childhood Development (ECD) plays a vital role in shaping later educational
achievement and human capital development. Despite its recognized importance, disparities
in funding and inequitable allocation of resources continue to constrain access to quality ECD
programmes. This study examined existing gaps in ECD funding in basic schools in Ikorodu
Local Government Area of Lagos, State, assessed the roles of relevant stakeholders in
supporting early childhood programmes, and explored strategies for bridging these funding
gaps through policy reforms, public–private partnerships, and innovative financing
approaches. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Out of 863 teachers, a
sample of 120 teachers was randomly selected from twelve basic schools, comprising six
public and six private institutions. Ten respondents were drawn from each school, including
nine classroom teachers and one school administrator. Two research questions and one
theoretical framework guided the study, while one hypothesis was tested at the 0.05 level of
significance. Data were collected using researchers’ developed instrument titled Bridging the
Silos in Early Childhood Development Funding Questionnaire (BSECDFQ). Regression
analysis was employed to determine the relationship between funding challenges and the
quality of early childhood education provision. Findings revealed that inadequate funding
policies and inequitable distribution of financial resources constitute major barriers to
effective ECD implementation. Results further indicated that schools with higher levels of
financial support demonstrated better learning environments, improved instructional
facilities, and enhanced programme quality. The study recommended increased federal and
state government investment, strengthened public–private partnerships, and community-
driven funding initiatives to ensure equitable access to quality early childhood education
