Shettima pushes human capital drive at World Bank/IMF meetings
By Kunle Sanni
Vice President Kashim Shettima has reiterated Nigeria’s call for stronger international partnerships to advance the country’s Human Capital Development 2.0 (HCD 2.0) agenda.
In a statement on Saturday by his spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima emphasized the need for evidence-based policies and sustained political will.
Speaking virtually at a high-level roundtable during the 2025 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, the Vice President reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to placing human development at the heart of Nigeria’s growth strategy.
Shettima explained that the HCD 2.0 initiative seeks to boost Nigeria’s Human Capital Index (HCI) and prepare the country for challenges such as climate change and digital transformation. He noted that the programme would prioritize data-driven interventions across health, education, and labour sectors.
“We have carefully curated priority indicators and an HCD Dashboard to track them. This enables us to make informed policy decisions and measure progress against tangible benchmarks,” he said.
He stressed the government’s commitment to transparency and measurable outcomes, with the goal of positioning Nigeria among the top 80 countries globally in HCI rankings.
The Vice President also urged the World Bank and other development partners to support the generation of detailed, state-level HCI data, which would allow for more targeted interventions. He assured that no region would be left behind, highlighting that several states have already begun tailoring the HCD strategy to their local needs.
The session featured key World Bank officials, including Executive Director Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Regional Director for Human Development Trina Haque, and Chief Economist for Human Development Norbert Shady. The Nigerian delegation was led by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, and Rukaiya El-Rufai, Special Adviser to the President on National Economic Council and Climate Change.
