Vice-President Kashim Shettima said on Saturday, assures Nigerians that the Federal Government is working to reverse the growing unemployment rate in the country.
Shettima stated this at the launch of the Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Strategy Document and Gender Transformative Human Capital Development Policy framework in Lafia.
According to the VP, the current administration is committed to empowering Nigerians with globally competitive skills. Which, he said, would enable them to excel anywhere in the world.
Shettima stated that, “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.
“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.”
According to VP, the unveiling of a blueprint for Nasarawa’s human capital challenges reaffirms the administration’s commitment to tackle the unique realities of each State.
Shettima regretted what he described as the tragic reality of the ECOWAS region being ranked the lowest in the global Human Capital Development Index. He, however, assured that it should not be something to feel disheartened about.
“Rather, he said, “it is an invitation for every country, and indeed sub-national entities, to rise to the challenge.”
He emphatically pointed out that “every child must have access to quality education and equitable healthcare. This is even as the nation’s workforce must be equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st-century economy.”
The Vice President, therefore, explained that the Government is not just committed to ensuring Nigerian youths acquire employable skills, but to compete at the highest levels of the international marketplace.
Shettima noted that the ambition transcends mere local success to empowering the youths to “export the acquired skills globally.
“Our partnerships with the private sector are critical in achieving this. By facilitating access to resources, expertise, and innovation, we aim to make human capital development the cornerstone of a more prosperous and competitive Nigeria,” he added.
He added that, “Nasarawa State’s commitment to the Human Capital Development (HCD) Programme, a lifeline for our nation, is built on the collective realization 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. And enough of our vulnerable populations facing low life expectancy,” Shettima stated.
Follow us for more news on our WhatsApp News Channels @
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaC505jB4hdZ5Yx9g82U