Vice President Kashim Shettima recently expressed optimism about the improvement of the national economy, predicting a rebound in the coming months. His statements came at the launch of the Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Strategy Paper and Gender Transformative Human Capital Development Policy Framework, held in Lafia, the state capital.
Shettima pledged to reverse the trend of the growing informal sector and low labor force participation, caused by the alarming unemployment rate in Nigeria. He noted that the Human Capital Development (HCD) program was aimed at preventing a negative society under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The Vice President highlighted the Tinubu administration’s goal of empowering Nigerians with globally competitive skills. This strategy would enable Nigerian workers to excel both domestically and in the international job market.
Shettima said Nasarawa State’s commitment to the Human Capital Development (HCD) Programme, the lifeline of our nation, was based on the collective realization that enough is enough. Too many of the cycles that have held us back. Too many of the legacies of unplanned high fertility rates and alarming maternal and infant mortality rates, too many of our vulnerable populations facing low life expectancy.
He stressed that unemployment rates, growing informality and low labour force participation must be reversed. Shettima said the presentation of a roadmap for the future of Nasarawa was a reaffirmation of the administration’s shared belief that the future of the nation lies in solutions tailored to the unique realities of each state.
He regretted what he described as the sad reality of the ECOWAS region being ranked lowest in the global Human Capital Development Index. However, the Vice President assured that it should not be discouraged but rather seen as an invitation for every country and even all sub-national entities to take up the challenge.
He stressed that every child must have access to quality education, equitable healthcare, while the country’s workforce must be equipped with the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century economy.
The Special Adviser to the President on the National Economic Council (NEC) and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai, said the programme was unveiled in 2018 with the aim of combating poverty, fostering socio-economic growth and improving human capital across the country.
Senator Ahmed Wadada (SDP-Nasarawa West) said Nasarawa State was at the forefront of establishing the framework for Human Capital Development in Nigeria. He stressed that education is the cornerstone of human development and must therefore be made available to all citizens.