TheCable

Yosola Akinbi, national coordinator of the human capital development project of the National Economic Council (NEC) says Nigeria is planning to increase the rate of primary school enrolment from 46 to 90 per cent by 2030.

According to NAN, Akinbi said this on Wednesday at the opening of a two-day South-south regional conference on human capital development held in Benin, Edo capital.

She said the rate of female enrolment in school would also be increased, adding that the country is targeting to push the number of girls who complete secondary school education from 42 to 80 per cent by 2030.

“We are also looking at reducing the figure of out-of-school children by 70 per cent,’’ she said.

She said health and nutrition, workforce population, and education have been targeted as focused areas for the human capital development project.

Akinbi said the council was targeting 24 million more healthy children under the age of five that would not become stunted but productive by 2030.

Speaking during the conference, Violet Obiokoro, focal person of the project, said more investment is needed to enhance the human capital development project.

Obiokoro, who is also the managing director of Edo state skills development agency, said more funding for the project would enable Nigeria to produce prolific graduates and leaders.

“Nigeria has seen first-hand what can happen to its people if we continue to pay lip service to invest in the development of human capital,” she said.

“Payment of lip service to human capital development in the past has partly resulted in poorly trained graduates struggling to provide value in the corporate sector.

“It has also seriously impacted on the calibre of people entering into government and private sector organisations.”