Nigeria’s strive to rank among the top 80 countries on the global Human Capital Index (HCI) by the year 2030 is, without a doubt, gaining traction. When actualised, the plan will, to a large extent, resolve the twin crisis of poverty and unemployment as well as improve life expectancy in the country.
Vice President Kashim Shettima reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, penultimate Monday during the launch of the state’s National Human Capital Development (HCD) Accelerator Project and the ARISE Human Capital Development Strategy. He said the plan can be achieved by enhancing the nation’s workforce capabilities and improving socio-economic outcomes.
Following the launch ceremony, the vice president inspected ongoing work at several ARISE HCD projects, including model primary schools and the ARISE Park, an innovative environmental reclamation project.
Shettima commended the state government for being the first to implement the national blueprint across all local government areas, noting that, to be successful, policies must be rooted in grassroots implementation.
“Every policy or programme that intervenes in the life of our people can only succeed if it’s rooted in the grassroots. The true wealth of any nation lies in the certainty of its human capital: the education of its children, the health of its citizens, and the productivity of its workforce,” VP Shettima said.
The vice president explained that the federal government has already introduced a second phase of the National Human Capital Development Programme (HCD 2.0), which builds on previous efforts with a greater focus on integration.
“At its core, HCD 2.0 is about integration and impact. It is built on the foundation of HCD 1.0 but goes further to incorporate cross-cutting themes. What Akwa Ibom state has shown us here isn’t just progress. It’s leadership,” he said.
The vice president emphasised the importance of data-driven policy implementation, announcing the launch of an HCD Dashboard to monitor key indicators with precision.
“We are deploying data not for reports, but for results. Because behind every number is a story: a child not vaccinated, a mother lost to childbirth, a youth with promise but no pathway. These are not mere statistics. They are realities. And we must confront them with urgency and compassion,” he stated.
Shettima highlighted Akwa Ibom’s exceptional performance on several metrics, noting its achievements compared to national averages.
“With an under-five mortality rate of 80, compared to the national average of 110, and with only 3.5% of primary-age children out of school—far below the national average of 25.6%—your state is not merely compliant with our national vision. You are ahead of the curve,” he added.
As part of the national strategy, the federal government also unveiled Project Fuuku, a clean cookstove initiative that expands on a successful pilot in Nasarawa state.
“This intervention is more than a public health measure. It is a gender-sensitive, climate-conscious strategy that saves lives, preserves forests, and uplifts rural women burdened by indoor pollution and fuel scarcity,” the vice president explained.
To ensure the sustainability of these initiatives beyond political terms, Shettima announced plans to institutionalise an HCD Fund.
He said, “We are working to institutionalise the HCD Fund to ensure that, no matter who occupies these offices tomorrow, the investments we make in people today will endure.
“If we must meet our target of reaching a Human Capital Index score of 0.6 and becoming a top-80 nation globally by 2030, we must act with boldness. Implementation must be swift. Data must guide us. Financing must be innovative. There’s no legacy that surpasses that of building our people. There’s no monument that would outlive the legacies of health, education, and opportunity.”
Earlier, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom state said human capital development is the bedrock of sustainable development, assuring that the state would continue to invest and collaborate with the National Coordinator of Human Capital Development in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the state government would send an Executive Bill to the state House of Assembly to domesticate the human capital development programme and assured that the state would continue to work with the Office of the Vice President to ensure that the programme scales down to local government councils.
He commended Shettima for putting together the building blocks of the initiative and leading its implementation and delivery frontally.
“We are thrilled that our state was selected as the first for the launch of this programme. This has further reinforced the fact that the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu doesn’t play politics with development, and this we deeply appreciate,” the governor added.
On her part, the National Coordinator of Human Capital Development in Nigeria and Special Adviser to the President on NEC, Rukaiya El-Rufai, said Nigeria ranked 168 out of 174 countries in the human capital development index.
On that basis, she recalled that an emergency National Economic Council (NEC) was held in 2018, with some key donors in attendance, where the council members, including all the state governors, made a firm commitment to the development of a human capital programme.
Blueprint commends the federal government’s resolve to improve Nigeria’s abysmally low 168 ranking to the top 80 on the Global Human Development Index (HDI). We urge the federal government to accelerate the National Agenda 2050. The agenda aims to unlock all constraints to ensure enhanced economic growth that is inclusive and sustainable, over the agenda period and beyond, to generate employment and reduce poverty.
Government should go beyond the normal provision of enabling environment to include targeted interventions in vital sectors of the economy that will open opportunities for the private sector to be the major engine of growth. In this regard, government should work with all stakeholders within and outside the country for the structural transformation of the economy to guarantee continuous improvement in the welfare and standard of living of all citizens