Paper short abstract:

Gender sensitive early childhood education is becoming an important tool for addressing gender gaps. The paper examines the gender sensitivity of early childhood education policy in Nigeria using an exploratory method to identify gaps and opportunities in the Nigerian Basic Education Policy.

Paper long abstract:

Concerted efforts to close gender gaps globally are yet to yield a hundred percent success. Gender-based inequalities in education processes and outcomes— e.g., method of teaching, teaching curriculum, different education aspirations, labor market discrimination, and restricted female leadership—persist as a result of deeply entrenched gender stereotypes that are formed early in life. There is a growing interest in the importance of early childhood education as a crucial factor in the promotion of/or otherwise the development of deeply engrained gender norms and social disparities among boys and girls in recent times. Incorporating a gender perspective into early childhood teaching unlocks children's potential at the very foundation of their development, which can build a sustainable approach to gender equality and quality education, and foster the development of human resources for the whole society.

The paper aims at examining the early childhood education policy in Nigeria for their gender sensitivity and suggests ways for bridging gender gaps and the achievement of gender equality through reforms in early childhood education policy.

Using an exploratory method to identify the gaps and opportunities in the Nigerian Basic Education Policy and drawing from a review of global examples, the paper concludes by advocating for an early childhood education policy reform that is gender sensitive as crucial in addressing gender gaps especially in leadership in Nigeria.