Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has stated that investing in Human Capital Development (HCD) is one of the smartest investments a country can make to break the cycle of poverty, address inequality and boost the productivity of labour.
Speaking yesterday through the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat,at the Southwest Human Capital Development Regional Conference, with the theme, “From Plan to Action: Push for HCD”, held at Marriot Hotel, GRA. Ikeja, Governor Sanwo-Olu said with such a vision, the government has an ineluctable responsibility to organise actions that will improve the socioeconomic development of the nation.
The Governor stressed that the profound shift in the global economy is creating a sense of urgency for the government to prepare the people for the emerging and complex future, adding that it is imperative to invest in people by ensuring that they accumulate the knowledge and skills they need to compete in a new world.
“As innovation continues to accelerate, it will be harder to catch up with the pace of development being witnessed in the developed world, if we fail to act decisively now. Our economies will fail further behind if we are not committed to meeting the targets of HCD. We have no time to lose as leaders; we must urgently invest in our people”, he said.
Speaking further, the Governor highlighted that the State Government is committed to ensuring that every child, man and woman in Lagos is not left behind and has the opportunity to live a full and productive life, adding that his administration made it clear from inception that no segment of the society will be left behind.
His words: “Our administration has initiated laws, policies and institutions, including the passage of a Lagos Social Protection Policy which defines interventions targeting the poor and vulnerable including children, women, persons with disability and the elderly, carried out across our various ministries and agencies, as well as ensuring that the budgets are reflective of the aspirations.
The Governor, therefore, urged the other southwest governors to consistently encourage the private sector and civil society to support these efforts in achieving sustainable human capital development across the three thematic areas, which include Education, Health and Nutrition, and Labour Force.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Investment, Mrs. Solape Hammond noted that the conference has brought together different development stakeholders across the six south-western states aligned in a common goal of improving opportunities for all people to live well, be well and productively engage in the country.
The Special Adviser stated that in the last three years, the Sanwo-Olu’s administration priority has been given to the alignment of policies and initiatives backed by tangible budget spending on critical human development areas, adding that the priorities are geared toward driving human development outcomes in the three thematic areas.
Hammond also disclosed that interventions and efforts put in place by the State Government are yielding results as the State remains consistently among the highest-performing states in local and international assessments of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).