Abdullahi M. Gulloma
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday inaugurated the revamped National Economic Council (NEC) Human Capital Development (HCD) Steering Committee, saying the federal government reconstituted the committee to reflect the nation’s new leadership and bring all stakeholders together.
He inaugurated the committee in his office at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He charged the new Committee to deliver the tangible progress on the three core pillars of health and nutrition, education and labour force participation.
“This is the future we seek, a future where every Nigerian has the opportunity to fulfil their dreams and contribute to the prosperity of our nation.
“I believe that this alignment of interests signals the approval of what HCD sets out to accomplish — the addition of 24 million healthy, educated, and productive Nigerians to our expanding population by 2030.
“Our human capital remains our greatest asset, and investing in its development is not only a moral responsibility but also an economic necessity,” he said.
Aligning the HCD programme’s objectives with President Tinubu’s eight-point agenda, including eradicating poverty and creating jobs, he said: “We are going to rely on defined frameworks and data to pursue investment in health care systems that are resilient, accessible, and responsive to the needs of our citizens.”
Also speaking, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state, who is the chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), assured of governors’ commitment to human capital development.
He said, “The need for upward integration of various HCD programmes, especially in education, healthcare, and social protection, cannot be overemphasised.
“The ultimate aim is to improve the lives of our citizens. We are ready to trickle down and right to the local government all the programmes that are necessary to uplift our citizens.”