Yobe Moves to Harness Population Potential Through Human Capital Development Drive

By Ahmed Abba

The Yobe State Government has inaugurated Ministerial, Departmental and Agency (MDA)-level Technical Working Groups to integrate Human Capital Development and Demographic Dividend (HCD-DD) priorities into the state’s policies and programmes.

The two-day workshop, held from Aug. 13 to Aug. 14 in Damaturu, was organised with support from the Lafiya UK Project. It trained participants on the State’s HCD-DD framework, strategic plan, and the specific roles of the MDA Technical Working Groups in driving development-focused reforms.

Officials explained that the initiative aims to ensure that health, education, skills, and economic opportunities are expanded in a coordinated way, enabling Yobe to harness the productive potential of its growing population.

Participants were exposed to methods of tracking progress, fostering inter-agency collaboration, and embedding HCD-DD objectives into sectoral policies. Facilitators emphasised that such integration is critical to addressing poverty, improving productivity, and achieving long-term economic resilience.

“The strength of any society lies in the capacity of its people,” one facilitator noted, adding that Yobe’s demographic structure can become an asset if properly planned for through investments in people’s health, knowledge, and livelihoods.

Members of the newly inaugurated Working Groups pledged to deliver measurable results and to sustain advocacy across MDAs. They commended the interactive nature of the sessions and reaffirmed their commitment to translating policy into tangible community benefits.

The workshop marks a strategic step in Yobe’s bid to align governance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Nigeria’s national human capital development framework. Participants listen to a presentation during the Lafiya UK–Nigeria Human Capital Development workshop in Damaturu.