Building the foundations
Early Childhood Development in Tanzania
Highlights
As Tanzania progresses toward sustainable development and prosperity, investing in Early Childhood Development (ECD) has emerged as a key strategy to shape the nation’s future. This ECD Investment Case explores the critical role of ECD in fostering lifelong learning, health, and productivity for individuals and society. With a population of 62 million, expected to double by 2050, and a significant youth bulge, Tanzania faces a unique opportunity to harness the demographic dividend and promote long-term, inclusive economic growth.
Under the leadership of the National ECD Secretariat and the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, and Children of Tanzania, UNICEF has supported the development of an ECD Investment Case. This study models the costs and socio-economic benefits of scaling up a comprehensive ECD intervention package, including early childhood education. The findings reveal a high return on investment and advocate for increased funding while offering actionable policy recommendations to drive transformative change.
In addition to the significant economic benefits, investments in ECD, particularly Early Childhood Education (ECE), lead to improved educational outcomes, enhanced workforce productivity, and long-term national prosperity. The investment case calls for a collaborative effort from the government, private sector, civil society, and the international community to allocate resources and design innovative solutions that prioritize children's futures. The choices made today will determine Tanzania’s trajectory, underscoring the shared responsibility to invest wisely for a brighter, more prosperous future for generations to come.
The research utilized a range of quantitative methods to analyse multiple investment scenarios, estimating current investment gaps, the additional resources required, their economic benefits, and the potential costs of inaction.
