According to reports, Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday approved the constitution of a multi-sectoral committee to drive the Federal Government’s Human Capital Development programme.
The multi-sectoral team consists of federal and state governments, donors and partners “who are expected to convene every two weeks to review the progress of work in addressing the objectives of the HCD programme,” a statement signed by Shettima’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed Monday.
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 focuses on three thematic areas: Health and Nutrition, Labour Force Participation and Education, and six essential human capital development areas, including under-five mortality rate, malnutrition, adult mortality, expected years of school, quality of learning and labour force participation rate.
At the meeting, Shettima stressed the need for government and partners to invest in human capital development to create a workforce that is globally competitive and adaptable 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.”
Shettima acknowledged the significant impact the two Nigerian business tycoons, Dangote and Elumelu, have had on the population, noting that every society rises and falls on the quality of its leadership.
Earlier, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Pate, said FG’s ongoing efforts are putting the people at the center of the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,’ even as he emphasised the importance of investing in human resources.
Pate maintained that going forward, stakeholders involved in the Human Capital Development programme of the Tinubu administration will reinforce and harness existing data to ensure accountability and accuracy in implementing programmes and projects under the initiative.
He expressed optimism that the renewed efforts at fast-tracking human capital development across different levels and tiers of government would attract interest from all stakeholders, including international partners and donor organisations.
On his part, the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, commended the foresight of Vice President Shettima in convening the meeting, noting that it underpins the commitment of the Tinubu administration to addressing challenges around human capital development.
