Abdulwahab Isa The Nigerian government is making steady headway in the closing of the human capital development gap. The authorities are conscious of the quality of life to be lived tomorrow by the citizens. For improved standards of living envisaged depends on today’s investments. The choices have to be deliberate and intentional. When it comes to human capital development and its overall enhancement, government is spearheading a policy aimed at enhancing human capital development.
The creation of Human Capital Development (HCD) is purpose-driven initiative. Established under Nigeria’s National Economic Council (NEC), HCD is to, coordinate efforts among stakeholders across education, health, and workforce development by promoting synergy and improved efficiency. The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, leads the coordination of Nigeria’s Human Capital Development (HCD) initiatives.
The office drives the HCD 2.0 agenda. It emphasises data-driven policies and stakeholder collaboration to improve national workforce productivity. HDC key areas of focus, include reducing malnutrition, reducing under-five mortality, increasing school enrollment, improving educational quality, and boosting youth labour participation. The initiative aims to position Nigeria within the top 80 nations on the Global Human Capital Index by 2030.
The quarter 4 HCD- co- working group meeting was held recently in Abuja. It brought together a broad and influential coalition of development partners, private sector leaders, philanthropic foundations, and key government ministries, departments, and agencies. Beyond routine updates, the gathering reflected a deeper shift in how Nigeria is approaching human capital, with stronger coordination, clearer roles, and a shared resolve to translate policy into measurable outcomes for citizens.
At the heart of the meeting was a progress update from the HCD Secretariat, delivered by the National Coordinator. Ms. Rukaiya El-Rufai (who also serves as the Special Adviser to the President on National Economic Council and Climate Change). The presentation outlined milestones already achieved, emerging priorities, and strategic next steps, particularly around improving delivery at the state level.
Participants were briefed on how ongoing reforms are gradually aligning education, health, nutrition, and social protection interventions under a more coherent national framework. Development partners provided detailed grant and programme updates, highlighting both progress and lessons learned. DAI shared insights from its ongoing support for HCD-focused interventions, while the World Bank presented updates spanning multiple thematic areas, with particular emphasis on early childhood development.
More importantly, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group( NESG) gave an update on efforts to mobilise and coordinate private sector participation through its Private Sector Partners Group. The NESG Representative, Seun Ojo, provided an update on the PSPG, an innovative platform mobilising private sector resources to complement public sector efforts in advancing HCD. By recognising the private sector’s vast financial and technical capabilities, the PSPG positions itself as a key complement to public sector efforts, driving growth in critical HCD sectors like health, education, and skills development.
The PSPG leverages private sector financial and technical expertise to strengthen health, education, and skills development. He said the group collaborates with major companies including UAC Foods and Oando, and works closely with NESG to promote coordinated investments which align with national HCD priorities. One of the most resonant contributions came from the World Bank’s presentation on early childhood development (stunting and early years program). Representative of the World Bank Nigeria Office, Dr. Ritgak Tilley-Gyado, underscored the urgency of prioritising early childhood development.
She notes that 90% of brain development occurs before the age of five. Despite this, Nigeria faces significant constraints, including,40% of children under five are stunted, affecting cognitive and physical development, only 43% of children aged 3–4 meet basic developmental milestones; only 24% of children aged 4–6 can write a simple word, indicating poor early literacy.
Dr. Ritgak highlighted the long-term consequences of inadequate early development, which extend to reduced productivity, limited job opportunities, and lower national GDP. Stunting, in particular she notes undermines school completion rates and future labour force participation. To address these gaps, she proposed a multisectoral approach integrating nutrition, health education, social protection, and WASH interventions.
Key recommendations included stronger governance systems, coordinated sectoral action, costed investment plans, and the implementation of an integrated early years framework. The World Bank representative emphasised the need to involve state commissioners of budget and planning in the summit and to obtain accurate HCD targets/data for the North, comparable to the South, for clarity and learning. To navigate the challenges, the HCD core working group was identified as a central driver of the agenda.
It will be responsible for providing strategic direction, convening federal and state actors, translating analytics into policy action, and promoting a national narrative on early childhood development. To address the specific challenges confronting each region, the Ama Dubello Foundation used the platform to present plans for the upcoming Northern HCD Conference.
The conference is expected to focus attention on region-specific challenges and opportunities, particularly in education access, maternal and child health, and skills development across Northern Nigeria. Participants welcomed the initiative as a critical step toward ensuring that national HCD strategies remain inclusive and context-sensitive.
The session was briefed on updates on the new Gates foundation/DAI grants. Dr. Joe Abah, Country Director of DAI Nigeria, provided an overview of the Secretariat Support Grant for HCD 2.0. He highlighted its objectives and expected outcomes. The grant aims to strengthen the design and delivery of the HCD 2.0 roadmap by, establishing an accountability framework for coordinated national and sub-national action, enhancing knowledge management and facilitating action learning among others.
In order to make HCD coordination seamless, The Chief of Staff introduced Dr. Ado Muhammad as the new Federal Coordinator for the HCD programme. He is tasked with strengthening stakeholder coordination on HCD programmes. In his new role, Mr. Ado will serve under the HCD National Coordinator, Ms. Rukaiya el-Rufai, and report directly to her on matters related to HCD 2.0 implementation.
He will work to ensure synergy, transparency, and accountability in the implementation and funding of HCD initiatives at the federal level. The presentation concluded with a call to action, emphasising the need for decisive leadership and coordinated action to address stunting and early childhood development gaps. Investing in early childhood development is crucial for Nigeria’s future workforce and economic growth.
