Uyo: The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to position Nigeria among the top 80 countries on the global Human Capital Index (HCI) by the year 2030. Vice-President Kashim Shettima made this known in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during the inauguration of the state’s National Human Capital Development (HCD) Accelerator Project and the ARISE Human Capital Development Strategy.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Vice-President also inspected several ongoing ARISE HCD projects, including model primary schools and the ARISE Park, an innovative environmental reclamation initiative. Shettima expressed confidence that the national ambition was achievable through the enhancement of workforce capabilities and improved socio-economic outcomes. He commended the Akwa Ibom State Government for being the first to implement the national HCD blueprint across all local government areas.
Shettima emphasized the importance of grassroots involvement, stating that effective policies must be rooted in local communities. ‘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,’ he said. He noted that the Federal Government had inaugurated the second phase of the Human Capital Development Programme (HCD 2.0), which builds on the first phase with a focus on integration and measurable impact.
To track progress, an HCD Dashboard has been introduced to monitor key indicators in real time. Shettima highlighted Akwa Ibom’s achievements, such as an under-five mortality rate of 80 compared to the national average of 110, and a primary-age children out-of-school rate of only 3.5 per cent, well below the national average of 25.6 per cent.
As part of the national strategy, Shettima also unveiled Project Fuuku, a clean cookstove initiative that addresses public health, environmental, and gender equity challenges. He announced plans to institutionalise a Human Capital Development Fund to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives.
Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom described human capital development as the foundation of sustainable development and assured continued investment and collaboration with the national HCD team. Ms Rukaiya El-Rufai, National Coordinator for Human Capital Development in Nigeria, highlighted the importance of continuity and long-term planning, noting Nigeria’s current rank of 168 out of 174 countries on the HCI.
Dr Nathaniel Adiakpan, Special Adviser to the Governor, described the ARISE strategy as a collective resolve to empower citizens through education, skills, and opportunity. The event also featured the distribution of clean cooking stoves to selected beneficiaries by the Vice-President, with various dignitaries in attendance.