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Adamawa State ranks lowest on Nigeria's human development index in education, economic growth and human capacity among others, a development expert, Dr Solomon Mamuru, has said.
Mamuru, Deputy Director, Academic Planning at the Adamawa State University, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that unless drastic measures were taken to address the dwindling fortunes of education in the state, Adamawa would continue to go down the progress ladder.
``The people of the state have continued to rely on government for survival, agriculture there is largely subsistence and there are very few industries that should contribute to the economic growth of the state.
``All these and coupled with the fact that people are not enlightened about the great role that education plays in the development of all areas of life, are responsible for the problem.
``The UN Development Programme has taken the right step in the right direction by addressing the main issue -- building human capacity," Mamuru stated.
Mamuru spoke to NAN on the sidelines of a Stakeholders' Validation Workshop for Mainstreaming Human Development Studies in Nigerian Universities, held in Abuja.
UNDP organised the workshop for stakeholders in partnership with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Planning Commission.
Mamuru who specialises in Nano-technology, stressed the need for residents of Adamawa to be empowered with knowledge.
``If you are economically independent, it means you are empowered and if you are empowered that would give you the liberty to contribute and lend a voice to how the government runs the affairs that concern you," he stated..
NAN reports that the UNDP, NUC partnership dates back to 2010, when a roundtable was organised to brainstorm on the idea and possibility of mainstreaming human development studies in the academic curricula of Nigerian universities.
The curriculum when operational, will help in the development of programmes that will concern three central platforms in human development as enunciated by the UNDP. (NAN)
