The Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, has declared the readiness of the state government to adopt the concepts of role modeling and mentorship to develop the productive population in skills and intellectual capacities.
Mrs Afuye spoke in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday, at a stakeholders’ sensitization workshop on Human Capital Development (HCD) held at the instance of the federal and state governments.
At the event, the Ekiti State First Lady, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji and the Managing Director, Arog Bio Services, Dr. Temitope Aroge, were decorated as champions and promoters of HCD in the state.
Mrs Afuye, according to a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, said the measure that will be adopted, is to rally the support of youth who have excelled in their chosen careers to support HCD.
“This we will do to bring them in as mentors, role models and funders of HCD. Our governor, Biodun Oyebanji is passionate about HCD and nothing will be left undone to make Ekiti an epicentre of youth development in Nigeria”.
Describing her investiture as an HCD champion as highly challenging and honourable, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, pledged that the Widows and Orphans Hope (WAOH) project her office was propelling, has committed funds sourced from government, private organizations and individuals to fight poverty in Ekiti.
Dr Oyebanji, represented by the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, Peju Babafemi, said she has deployed the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and WAOH under her supervision, to tackle cases relating to adolescent problems, homelessness, widowhood challenge and many others.
The First Lady pledged her commitment to continue to back the government to overcome the challenges of unemployment and other associated problems in the state.
Another HCD champion, Dr Temitope Aroge, advised the youth population not to be disillusioned by societal problems confronting them, urging that they should key into all government activities tended toward imbue them with skills and intellect to operate under a 21st century economy.
The Southwest HCD Regional Consultant, Dr. Adedayo Adeyanju, said a vivid study of the manifesto of Oyebanji’s government portrayed him as a rabid lover of Human Capital Development.
“Apart from the fact that HCD represents a whole pillar in his policy thrust, other areas like Youth Development and Job Creation, agriculture and rural development are other areas that deal directly with human development. I give kudos to this government.”
“I know Ekiti will be a focus in the Southwest because I have no doubt that you have a lot to showcase when it comes to HCD. I also appeal to the champions to help us mobilize resources to empower our teeming youth.”
“Nigeria HCD is very poor going by World bank rating. We are still at 36%, which is not good enough. We are still having cases of school drop-out, poor health indices and increasing unemployment. If we focus on this sector, we will have enough population to contribute to our Gross Domestic Productive (GDP)”.
Also espousing his views on the HCD in relation to Oyebanji’s administration, the Director General/ Special Adviser, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, Dr. John Ekundayo, revealed that the government decided to make HCD a pillar for accelerated economic development.
Ekundayo differed with the widespread impression that Nigerian youth are lazy, and are only interested in money, clarifying that many productive youth are blazing the trail in farming, manufacturing, trading and commerce.
“This government will continue to identify hardworking youth and train them with relevant skills, vocations and intellectual power in their areas of interests to be able to contribute to economic growth. I don’t believe that all the youth are lazy”.
In his submission, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Development, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, said HCD deals centrally with skills and intellectual development of every productive youth, assuring that the present government won’t joke with such a significantly relevant sector.