FG picks Nigerian billionaires, Elumelu, Dangote, others to fight high mortality rate, malnutrition

On Monday, 20th November 2023, Kashim Shettima, Vice President of Nigeria approved the constitution of a multi-sectoral committee.

The team set up to drive the goals of the federal government’s Human Capital Development (HCD) programme comprises Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, and others.

The HCD programme

Shettima stated that investment in human capital development is a must for the government and its allies.

He claimed that doing so will contribute to the development of a globally competitive workforce that can change to meet the demands of the twenty-first century.

He said, “This gathering marks our collective recommitment to redirecting the promise and potential of our human capital towards safeguarding the economy. It’s an honour to host you, and I eagerly anticipate celebrating the success of the initiatives uniting us.

“Our presence today signifies a tacit understanding that our future is intricately linked to our human capital development. We have witnessed the growing shift towards knowledge and service-based economies and the advantages they offer, particularly to our youths."

The chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, hailed President Tinubu for his dedication in calling the meeting and his endeavour to address issues related to the development of human capital.

As a result, he urged all parties involved to put serious effort into addressing the issue of erroneous data, characterising it as the primary obstacle to human capital development.

The founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony Elumelu, also promised to back federal government programmes aimed at developing Nigeria's human capital.

“We will support you; our commitment is guaranteed. This is a laudable idea,” Elumelu stated.

Every two weeks, the team will convene to review work progress in line with HCD programme objectives, BusinessDay reported.

The programme is divided into three main categories: education and labour force participation, health and nutrition, and six key sectors for the development of human capital.

The under-five mortality rate, adult mortality, malnutrition, projected years of schooling, learning quality, and labour force participation rate are the HCD areas.

Earlier, Tony Elumelu caused a buzz on social media after sharing new photos of himself with fellow billionaire, Aliko Dangote.