Human Capital Development in Nigeria: A Socio-Economic Analysis

Abstract

The paper establishes the link between education and selected human development indicators. Rapid socio-economic development has been observed to depend essentially on the calibre of human capital in a nation. Although Nigeria is one of the most populous nations in Africa, the country is still largely under-developed. This can be attributed partly to the unplanned efforts towards the development of human capital through education and training. Consequently the country has been scored low by the United Nations in terms of its human development indicators such as life expectancy, literacy and economic growth rates. The population growth has continued to expand, even beyond the rate of economic growth, a situation that gave rise to increasing poverty. Furthermore, gender gap in access to education continued to persist in the urban and rural areas, while dropout rates continue to worsen. Recommendation made to redress the situation include that human capital development should be planned and adequately funded in line with the needs of the economy and by applying international standards. Information about the labour market should improve while government policy should favour labour mobility. There should be regular interaction of planners, employers and builders of human capital to facilitate the process of meaningful national development.


(Nigerian Journal of Clinical and Counselling Psychology: 2001 7 (1&2): 157-167)