… says A’Ibom worthy of emulation

Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, has applauded the audacious investments in human capital development by Governor Umo Eno in Akwa Ibom State, saying he is worthy of emulation.

In his speech at the launch of the ARISE Human Capital Development Strategic Plan held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Uyo, Vice President Shettima noted that investment in human capital development surpasses every form of investment.

“That is why I commend Akwa Ibom, not only for your outstanding performance, but for daring to dream bigger.

“With an under-five mortality rate of 80, compared to the national average of 110, and with only 3.5% of primary school-age children out of school—far below the national average of 25.6%—your state is not merely compliant with our national vision. You are ahead of the curve. And I assure you, the federal government stands ready to partner hand-in-hand with you.

“This is the Governor in whom the President has a lot of confidence.

“Let me therefore commend the Governor and his team for not only adopting the HCD framework but localising its operation and placing people at the center of public policies. This is leadership, this is what it means to govern with vision, foresight and commitment.”

The Vice President said the National Human Capital Development Programme, which has entered its second phase, is a solution re-engineered to meet the moment.

“At its core, HCD 2.0 is about integration and impact. It is built on the foundation of HCD 1.0, but goes further to incorporate cross-cutting themes. What has brought us together in Uyo—the launch of the ARISE Human Capital Development Strategy by His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno—is a template for each state of the federation. It’s a strategy that acknowledges that we can’t build an enduring castle without a solid foundation.

“What Akwa Ibom State has shown us here isn’t just progress, it is leadership. It has become the first state in the nation to localise the HCD vision in its truest form. While other states have a strategy tailored towards the state, Akwa Ibom has taken a step forward by adopting the strategies in all local government areas.

“We cannot solve what we do not measure. This is why we have launched the HCD Dashboard to monitor these indicators at both state and local levels with precision. We are deploying data not for reports, but for results.

“I urge every governor to learn from the example set by His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno. There’s no legacy that surpasses that of building our people. There’s no monument that would outlive the legacies of health, education, and opportunity,” he said.

Earlier in his remark, Governor Umo Eno saluted the Vice President for the great work done in putting together the building blocks of the ARISE Human Capital Development and Local Government HCD Implementation Roadmap and Strategic Plan, and also leading frontally towards its implementation and delivery.

He also appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making Human Capital Development a major focal area of his Renewed Hope Agenda, of which, according to him, Akwa Ibom State is a beneficiary.

The Governor said the Human Capital Development Plan is also designed to expansively provide key human-centric projects such as healthcare services, which the State is currently executing through investments in the construction and equipping of primary healthcare centers, provision of quality education at both the primary and secondary levels, empowerment of people, and equipping them with the requisite skills, knowledge and equipment they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

He enumerated different efforts of his administration at human capital development to include: establishment of the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre (IBOM-LED), which has trained over 4,000 people with start-up grants ranging from N5,000 to N750,000; the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre, DASAC, where over 400 trainees recently graduated in various areas of skill sets.

Also in the list included: 16 youths in Toulouse, France for training as pilots with Airbus; 21 engineers who recently came back from training with Ethiopian Airlines and would soon be absorbed by Ibom Air; empowerment of businesses, traders, and farmers with grants worth over N4 billion through Town Square Empowerment Meetings and support for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs); and many others.

He noted that his people-first policy, which is encapsulated in the government’s ARISE Agenda, aligns with that of the federal government, and he would do all possible to ensure the HCD programme meets its set target.

— EKERETE UDOH