A Theoretical Framework for the Governance of Early Childhood Education in Nigerian Federal States

The governance of early childhood education in Nigeria's federal system involves complex jurisdictional overlaps, accountability deficits, and inter-governmental coordination challenges that existing public administration and education governance theories inadequately theorise, and developing an original framework provides a significant contribution to ECD governance scholarship. This study developed an original Theoretical Framework for ECD Governance in Nigerian Federal States, drawing on governance theory, federalism studies, and empirical research with governance actors across the three tiers of government. A constructive theory-building methodology was employed, combining systematic review of 64 education governance and federalism publications from 2018 to 2024, analysis of Nigerian ECD policy documents and inter-governmental agreements over the 2012 to 2024 period, and structured interviews with 45 governance actors at federal, state, and local government levels across 6 states. Historical policy analysis confirmed persistent tension between federal policy ambition and state implementation capacity, LGA-level structural disempowerment in ECD governance, and absence of formal inter-governmental coordination mechanisms for ECD. The original ECD Governance Framework for Nigerian Federalism proposes six theoretical constructs: jurisdictional clarity (clarity of constitutional mandate), vertical alignment (federal-state-LGA coordination), horizontal coherence (inter-sectoral coordination at each level), accountability architecture (reporting and transparency systems), community legitimacy (community voice in governance), and adaptive governance (responsiveness to local context variation). Each construct includes governance assessment indicators. Expert review by 22 governance and ECD policy specialists confirmed the framework's original contribution. Recommendations include establishing a National ECD Inter-Governmental Coordination Platform.

Keywords: ECD governance, Nigerian federalism, governance framework, inter-governmental coordination, early childhood policy