Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed optimism about Nigeria’s economic future, stating that the nation’s economy has begun to improve and will rebound in the coming months.
He made this statement during the launch of the Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Strategy Document and Gender Transformative Human Capital Development Policy Framework in Lafia, the state capital.
Shettima emphasized the need to reverse the growing informal sector and low labor force participation, which are exacerbated by Nigeria’s staggering unemployment rate.
He noted that the Human Capital Development Programme, initiated under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, aims to empower Nigerians with globally competitive skills.
“This strategy would enable Nigerian workers to excel both domestically and in the international job market,” Shettima said.
He further emphasized the importance of human capital development, stating, “Nasarawa State’s commitment to the Human Capital Development Programme, a lifeline for our nation, is built on the collective realization that enough is enough. Enough of the cycles that have held us back. Enough of the legacies of unplanned high fertility rates and alarming maternal and under-five mortality rates. Enough of our vulnerable populations facing low life expectancy.”
Shettima also highlighted the dire statistics surrounding Nigeria’s education system, saying, “Enough of the distressing data on our education system—whether it is the mean years of schooling, the high pupil-to-teacher ratios, or the staggering number of youths not in employment, education, or training. The unemployment rates, the growing informal sector, and low labour force participation must be reversed.”
He noted that the ECOWAS region ranks lowest in the global Human Capital Development Index but urged that this should not be a cause for despair.
“Rather, it is an invitation for every country, and indeed sub-national entities, to rise to the challenge,” he said.
Shettima emphasized the importance of quality education and healthcare in achieving human capital development.
He said, “Every child must have access to quality education, equitable healthcare, even as the nation’s workforce must be equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st-century economy.”
The Special Adviser to the President on National Economic Council and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai, noted that the Human Capital Development programme was launched in 2018. She explained that the programme aims to address poverty, foster socio-economic growth, and improve human capital across the country.
El-Rufai thanked Vice President Shettima for leading the National Economic Council and the National Human Capital Development programme.
Senator Ahmed Wadada (SDP-Nasarawa West), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, praised Nasarawa State for leading the way in human capital development. “Nasarawa State is leading in laying the structure for Human Capital Development in Nigeria,” he said.
Wadada emphasized the importance of education, stating, “Most important creatures are humans, and therefore, they must be equipped in order to carry out their endeavours successfully. Education is the cornerstone of human development, and as such, it must be given to all citizens.”
