Governor Abdullahi Sule has assured that his administration will fully implement the Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Strategy, as well as Nasarawa State Gender Transformative Human Capital Development Policy Framework.
Governor Sule gave the assurance while delivering his speech shortly before Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima launched the two strategy documents at a ceremony that held at the Government House on Saturday.
Drawing from the successes being recorded through the implementation of the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS), the Governor said his administration will also implement the state’s human capital development strategy, an actionable road map that will further guide the government interventions in education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic empowerment.
Tagged ‘Accelerating Growth and Development 2024-2030’, he explained that the Nasarawa State HCD strategy is aimed at propelling the state into a new era of development, inclusivity, and economic prosperity.
“It is also important for me to emphasize that these plan does not only prioritize human capital development and infrastructure but also strengthen governance mechanism and to ensure accountability, transparency, honesty and efficiency in the use of public resources,” he stated.
Governor Sule added that the Nasarawa State Gender Transformative Human Capital Development framework is also critical in the state programme because gender equity is a cornerstone of sustainable development.
“It is for this reason that our administration in the state has continued to recognize that addressing gender disparities is not only a social responsibility but an economic imperative believing that women empowerment leads to significant gains in economic growth, poverty reduction and social cohesion,” he said.
He emphasized that the framework will provide the structural and policy support necessary to dismantle barriers that hinder women participation in leadership and economic activities in the state.
The Governor reiterated the commitment of his administration to diversify the economy of the state through efficient optimization of its abundant natural resources and to foster enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
“I must say that, as we move towards 2030, the economic landscape of Nasarawa State and by extension Nigeria, will continue to evolve. That is why our strategic plan is designed with flexibility and adaptability allowing us to respond to emerging trends and other global challenges,” he stated.
Speaking at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima, emphasised that the goal of the Federal Government is to empower Nigerians with globally competitive, towards enabling Nigerian workers to excel both domestically and in the international job market.
“Nasarawa State’s commitment to the Human Capital Development (HCD) Programme, a lifeline for our nation, is built on the collective realisation that enough is enough.
Enough of the cycles that have held us back. Enough of the legacies of unplanned high fertility rates and alarming maternal and under-five mortality rates. Enough of our vulnerable populations facing low life expectancy.
“Enough of the distressing data on our education system—whether it is the mean years of schooling, the high pupil-to-teacher ratios, or the staggering number of youths not in employment, education, or training. The unemployment rates, the growing informal sector, and low labour force participation must be reversed.
“This is the dystopia our Human Capital Development Programme is designed to avert, under the mandate of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. For so long, at the National Economic Council, we have debated the ideal nation we wish to build and the pathways to achieve it,” he stated.
The VP attributed the launch of the strategy document and policy framework in Nasarawa State to the leadership and vision of Governor Sule, describing it as a forward-thinking approach that makes a difference.
Announcing that the government at the centre has already moved beyond the first phase of the HCD by adapting strategies to current realities and shifting from theory to implementation, he said Nasarawa’s entry at this pivotal stage is a promising sign of progress.
The Vice President said he personally attended the event because Governor Sule understands the language of development.
While congratulating the state, as well as all the stakeholders for their dedication to making the strategy documents a reality, the Vice President used the opportunity of the event to speak on the necessary of unity and peaceful coexistence in Nasarawa State.
“What binds us together supercedes whatever that divides us. You are a blessed state, endowed with natural resources, arable land, solid minerals, oil found in Keana.
But these potentialities will remain what they are, potentials, they can never be translated into realities without peace. There can never be peace without development and there can never be development without peace,” he stated.
Harping on the need for sustenance of the existing peace in the state, Shettima called on the people to unite together and to rally round Governor Sule and support him in order for the state to move forward.
“You will not know the value of Governor Sule until he leaves office. You will not appreciate him until he is no longer on the seat. The peace you are enjoying here should be sustained at whatever cost. Joins hands together to sustain the prevailing peace in the state. We are all united by our common challenges of poverty, destitution and underdevelopment,” he added.
For her part, the Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai, said the National Human Capital Development programme was unveiled in 2018 with the aim of addressing poverty, fostering socio-economic growth, and improving human capital across the country.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Director General of Nasarawa Human Capital Development Agency, Hajiya Habiba Suleiman, noted that the HCD strategy document for Nasarawa State contains the direction for the development of human capital in the state.
According to the DG, human capital is the most valued asset any government can provide for its people.
The event also witnessed the distribution of cooking stoves, spaghetti, rice, sewing and grinding machines to various indigent women groups in the state by the Vice President.