By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Federal government has restated its resolve to place the nation among the top 80 countries on the global Human Capital Index (HCI) by 2030.
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, who made the resolve on Monday, said it could be achieved by enhancing the nation’s workforce capabilities and improving socioeconomic outcomes.
Shettima spoke in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, when he launched the state’s National Human Capital Development (HCD) Accelerator Project and the ARISE Human Capital Development Strategy.
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 applauds Akwa Ibom on national HCD blueprint
He commended the state government for becoming the first to implement the national blueprint across all local government areas, noting that 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,” 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 precisely.
“We are deploying data not for reports but for results. 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 per cent of primary-age children out of school—far below the national average of 25.6 per cent—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 cooking stove 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.
Senator Shettima announced plans to institutionalise an HCD Fund to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives beyond political terms.
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 boldly. Implementation must be swift. Data must guide us. Financing must be innovative. No legacy surpasses that of building our people. No monument would outlive the legacies of health, education, and opportunity.”
Earlier, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, 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.
He assured that the state would continue working with the Office of the Vice President to ensure that the programme is scaled down to local government councils.
He commended Vice President Shettima for putting together the initiative’s building blocks and leading its implementation and delivery frontally.
“We are thrilled that our state was selected as the first to launch 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.
For her part, Rukaiya El-Rufai, National Coordinator of Human Capital Development in Nigeria and Special Adviser to the President on NEC, 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. The council members, including all the state governors, made a firm commitment to the development of a human capital programme.
El-Rufai commended Vice President Shettima and the Governor of Akwa Ibom for continuing with the initiative, which she said has a long-term result framework, emphasising that continuity is essential.
“Human Capital Development also improves the health and well-being of the people, such that when they are born, they have the best of schooling and effective healthcare and, thereby, can achieve their fullest potential,” she explained.
Also, Dr Nathaniel Adiakpan, Special Adviser to the Governor and Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Human Capital Development Council, said the Arise human capital development strategic plan represents the state’s collective resolve to empower its citizens through education, skill development and opportunities that foster innovation and creativity.
“Today, we gather to actualise a Renewed Hope in human capital through the collaborative effort of the Arise HCD initiative that will undoubtedly reshape the landscape of human capital development in our state,” Adiakpan states.
The event’s high point was the presentation of clean cooking stoves to some selected beneficiaries by the Vice-President.
Also in attendance were the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadeija; Special Adviser to the President of General Duties, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo; Coordinator, Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Helen Eno Obereki; Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah; and the Akwa Ibom State Focal Person and Chairman, South-South Focal Person’s Forum of HCD in Nigeria, Mr Uduak Isaac.
Others are the Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Energy Group, Mr Suraj Wahab Ologburo, and the Chief Executive Officer of Human Capital Development Plus, Mrs Finda Koroma.
