Yobe Stakeholders Design Human Capital Development Template, Hail Lafiya UK Support
By Ahmed I Abba
In a significant step towards improving the lives of Yobe State residents, key stakeholders from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have successfully developed a tailored Human Capital Development (HCD) template.
This achievement follows a comprehensive five-day workshop facilitated by the Lafiya UK programme.
The initiative, aimed at domesticating the national HCD programme, aligns with the National Population Commission (NPC)’s Demographic Dividend (DD) concept.
The template is designed to address Yobe’s specific challenges and leverage its unique opportunities, ultimately contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The national HCD programme targets the development of 24 million additional healthy, educated, and productive Nigerians by 2030, focusing on strategic thematic areas: Health and Nutrition, Education, and the Labour Force.
Alhaji Usman M. Bura, the State Focal Person on HCD, lauded the workshop’s impact, emphasising its role in enhancing the reporting skills of the HCD technical team. He expressed confidence that the team could generate high-quality data for national-level presentation.
“The brainstorming during the workshop session had demonstrated a clear understanding among participants, and I am optimistic that they will produce data we can be proud of.” He thete8expressing gratitude to Lafiya UK for their support.
Modu Mohammed Maidugu, State Director the National Population Commission (NPC), reiterated the commission’s commitment to providing crucial demographic data to support HCD initiatives. He highlighted the NPC’s role in promoting fertility and mortality reduction, fostering synergy among state MDAs, and creating a robust HCD roadmap.
Muhammed Bashir Ibrahim, Director of Planning at the Yobe State Ministry for Budget and Economic Planning, acknowledged the relative novelty of the HCD concept in the state, despite its familiarity.
“The reforms now in place are identifying what needs to be done to improve our human capital. The government is focusing on harnessing the potential of our predominantly youth population.” he explained.
Ibrahim credited Lafiya UK for initiating crucial discussions, building capacity, and providing technical support for data analysis and future planning.
Muhammed Baba Kuchichi, Co-chair of the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Yobe Voice and Accountability Mechanism, outlined the CSO’s role in supporting HCD implementation.
He emphasised their capacity for advocacy, community mobilisation, resource mobilisation, research, and feedback provision to policymakers.
“We will advocate for policies and programmes that enhance HCD, mobilise communities, and conduct research to inform policy decisions,” he stated.
The collaborative effort between state MDAs and Lafiya UK marks a significant milestone in Yobe’s journey towards achieving sustainable human capital development.
