VP Shettima urges states to strengthen Human Capital Development implementation

…calls for nationwide data survey to track progress on key indicators

By Kunle Sanni

Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged governors across Nigeria’s 36 states to intensify the implementation of Human Capital Development (HCD) programs, emphasizing that the country’s future depends more on the strength of its workforce than on its natural resources.

Speaking at the HCD Steering Committee meeting on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Shettima stressed the need for swift, targeted, and decisive action.

“We must go beyond plans and policies. Implementation must be swift, targeted, and unrelenting. The time for incremental change has passed—this is the time for bold, decisive action,” he said.

The Vice President highlighted the importance of tracking progress on five key HCD indicators and ensuring regular, structured meetings of State HCD Councils. “Human capital development must remain at the heart of governance at all levels,” Shettima added.

Underscoring the administration’s commitment to human capital development, Shettima emphasized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dedication to investing in Nigeria’s people rather than relying solely on natural resources.

“History will remember that at a defining moment, this administration chose to prioritize people over politics and capacity over convenience,” he said.

He also highlighted the committee’s recent achievements, including its expansion to include cross-sectoral representation and the rollout of impactful state-level initiatives such as Project Fuuku in Nasarawa State, which distributed over 1,000 clean cookstoves to vulnerable households, promoting both human capital development and environmental sustainability.

Another key achievement is the launch of the HCD Dashboard, a data-driven tool designed to monitor progress on critical indicators such as immunization rates, learning poverty, and youth unemployment.

The Vice President called for a nationwide survey to gather real-time data on priority indicators, including health, education, and workforce readiness.

“We believe that data must drive our decisions. A nation that aspires to greatness must ground its policies in evidence, not assumptions,” Shettima stated.

He also emphasized the need for innovative financing solutions beyond traditional government funding, urging the Private Sector Partnership Group and development partners to view human capital development not as charity but as an investment in Nigeria’s economic future.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, underscored the importance of integrating human capital development into economic strategies.

“Economic expansion without human capital development is an effort in futility,” he said, calling for a focus on building an educated, skilled, and healthy workforce.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Representative, Elsie Attafuah, commended the government’s efforts, citing initiatives such as the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program. She noted that Nigeria’s true potential lies in its human resources, not its natural resources.

In her presentation, Rukaiya El-Rufai, Special Adviser to the President on the National Economic Council (NEC) and Climate Change, reported on the progress of the redesigned HCD governance structure and the launch of a national dashboard tracking health, education, nutrition, and labor force metrics.

Following discussions, the committee approved several recommendations, including empowering state focal persons, ensuring regular HCD council meetings, prioritizing key development indicators, and commissioning a national data collection survey.

This renewed focus on human capital development reflects the federal government’s commitment to fostering a skilled, healthy, and educated population as the foundation for Nigeria’s long-term prosperity.