Vice President Kashim Shettima has given the green light for the establishment of a multi-sectoral committee aimed at steering the Federal Government’s Human Capital Development initiative.
According to a statement signed by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to Vice President Shettima, the multi-sectoral team comprises federal and state governments, donors, and partners, and is scheduled to meet every two weeks to assess the progress of work towards achieving the objectives of the HCD programme.
The statement is titled, ‘Human capital development: FG moves to address Nigeria’s global performance lag.’
This followed the VP’s meeting with World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri; the Chairman of the Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote; the Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr Tony Elumelu, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, among others at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The HCD programme is designed to address three primary areas: Health and Nutrition, Labour Force Participation and Education, and six critical human capital development areas, including under-five mortality rate, malnutrition, adult mortality, expected years of school, quality of learning, and labour force participation rate.
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Shettima, during the meeting, stressed the importance of investing in human capital development for both the government and its partners, in order to establish a workforce that is globally competitive and capable of adapting to the modern demands of the 21st century.
He said, ‘This gathering marks our collective recommitment to redirecting the promise and potential of our human capital towards safeguarding the economy. It’s an honour to host you and I eagerly anticipate celebrating the success of the initiatives uniting us.’
‘Our presence today signifies a tacit understanding that our future is intricately linked to our human capital development.’
‘We have witnessed the growing shift towards knowledge and service-based economies and the advantages they offer, particularly to our youths.’
In acknowledging the significant impact of Dangote and Elumelu on the Nigerian population, Shettima emphasized that the quality of leadership is the determining factor in the success or failure of any society.
The Federal Government’s ongoing efforts are geared towards placing the people at the center of the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,’ as highlighted by Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Pate, who also emphasized the importance of investing in human resources.
It was reiterated by Pate that in the future, stakeholders involved in the Human Capital Development program of the Tinubu administration will enhance and leverage existing data to ensure accountability and accuracy in implementing programs and projects under the initiative.
He expressed confidence that the renewed initiatives aimed at expediting human capital development across different levels and tiers of government would pique the interest of all stakeholders, including international partners and donor organizations.
Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Group, commended Vice President Shettima for his foresight in convening the meeting, emphasizing that it underscores the commitment of the Tinubu administration to addressing challenges related to human capital development.