Vice President Kashim Shettima has implored governors of the 36 states of the federation to deepen the implementation of Human Capital Development (HCD) programmes in their states.
He said the path chosen by Nigeria in the 21st Century could only be determined by the strength of the nation’s workforce, the education of its children, and the well-being of communities across the country.
Shettima, who spoke yesterday at a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Human Capital Development Programme at the Presidential Villa, in a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, maintained that Nigeria would achieve greater success if it depends more on the quality of its human capital than its natural resources or industrial might.
He said, “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. State-level implementation must be deepened. Our governors and state representatives must prioritise the five key indicators we have identified for tracking HCD progress.
“Regular and structured meetings of State HCD Councils must become non-negotiable, ensuring that human capital development remains at the heart of governance at all levels.”
Underscoring the importance of human capital to the nation’s development, Shettima pointed out that history would remember that in a defining moment, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
“chose to prioritise people over politics, to invest in capacity over convenience, and to build a nation that thrives not despite its challenges, but because we confronted them head-on.”
He outlined the significant strides made by the HCD Steering Committee to include its expansion to accommodate key cross-cutting sectors, noting that this has strengthened the governance structure.
