Akwa Ibom State government Monday unveiled the State Human Capital Development Strategy Plan, with priority attention in education and healthcare.
The plan, christened ‘ARISE Human Capital Development Strategy Plan,’ was unveiled by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Uyo.
Speaking at the event, Shettima said the policy is a declaration that the true wealth of any nation lies in its human capital development, especially education and health of the citizenry.
The vice president said human capital development plans should be rooted in the people and guided by a steady understanding of the direction of the world.
He noted that the country must pay attention to citizens’ need for immunisation, unemployment and maternal mortality to effectively promote human capital development.
Shettima urged the Akwa Ibom government to ensure effective implementation of the plan at the local government level.
The vice president commended Akwa Ibom for being the first state to domesticate the national human development plan and urged other states to follow up.
“The true wealth of any nation lies in the certainty of its human capital development, especially education, health and the productivity of its workforce.
“The ARISE human capital development strategy is a template for other states of the federation to follow. We cannot build an enduring future without a solid foundation.
“Akwa Ibom has shown core leadership. It has become the first state in the nation to localise the human capital development plan,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Umo Eno said the human capital development plan has become imperative due to the need to address the post COVID-19 challenges that the world is facing.
“It became proper for the state government to strengthen individual and institutional capacities to rise in real time to confront future pandemics.
“Apart from the above key areas, the plan is also designed to expansively provide key human-centric projects in healthcare and education.
“We are currently investing in the construction and equipping of primary healthcare centres. We are also providing quality education at the primary and secondary levels,” he said.
Eno said the state government has plans to construct model secondary schools in the three senatorial districts.
He added that Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre had trained and given start-up grants to no fewer than 4,000 people.
“Also, Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre, recently graduated about 400 trainees in various areas of marketable and entrepreneurial skills.
“These 400 graduands were trained in ICT, mechanised agriculture, carpentry, fashion design, tourism among others,” he said.
The governor commended President Bola Tinubu for this critical initiative and commitment to national development.
“We appreciate the federal government for selecting Akwa Ibom as the first state for the launch of the programme. This has shown that the president does not play politics with development.
In a goodwill message, the Group Managing Director, Techno Oil Limited, Mrs Nkechi Obi, said no meaningful development could take place without a deliberate and actionable roadmap.
Obi said for development to take place, there must be well thought-out plans to address the critical challenges militating against human capital development.
The group managing director noted that a human capital development plan is critical to the economic buoyancy of a country such as Nigeria.
She expressed the commitment of Techno Oil towards ensuring cleaner, greener, safer and more friendly environment by producing quality cooking cylinders.
Obi said Techno Oil had distributed no fewer than 20,000 units of 6kg LPG cylinders to indigent women as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Earlier, the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Human Capital Development Council, Dr Nathaniel Adiakpan, said the plan represents a collective resolve to empower citizens through education, innovation and creativity.
Adiakpan noted that the comprehensive framework was designed to address the unique needs of citizens and communities. (NAN)
