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At World Bank/IMF Spring Meeting, VP Shettima Pushes For Nigeria’s HCD 2.0 Agenda

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At World Bank/IMF Spring Meeting, VP Shettima Pushes For Nigeria’s HCD 2.0 Agenda

** Calls for evidence-based interventions, stronger global partnerships in education, health, labour sectors

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for stronger international collaboration to advance Nigeria’s Human Capital Development 2.0 (HCD 2.0) strategy.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to positioning human potential at the heart of national development.

Speaking virtually at a high-level roundtable on the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, VP Shettima said the success of HCD 2.0 will hinge on data-driven, evidence-based interventions and sustained political will.

The HCD 2.0 programme is designed to elevate Nigeria’s Human Capital Index (HCI) and equip Nigeria to face both national and global challenges, including climate change and digital transformation.

The Vice President pointed out that the meeting was necessitated by the urgency to invest in the Nigerian people and by the recognition that true national wealth is found not in natural resources, but in human potential.

“This meeting, for us, is not just another item on our global agenda. It is a continuation of a journey whose beginnings I had the privilege of witnessing about seven years ago. True national wealth is found not in natural resources, but in human potential.

“We will offer our HCD 2.0 Strategy the political backing it deserves to be the priority of our nation, and His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has never wavered on this,” he said.

The session featured key stakeholders from the World Bank, including Executive Director, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed; Regional Director for Human Development in the Western and Central Africa, Trina Haque; Senior Social Protection Specialist and Regional Task Team Leader, Africa West & Central region, Tina George, and Chief Economist for Human Development in the World Bank Group, Norbert Shady.

The Nigerian delegation included the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President/ Chair of the HCD Core Working Group, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia and Special Adviser to the President on National Economic Council & Climate Change/National Coordinator of HCD programme, Rukaiya El-Rufai.

VP Shettima reiterated the federal government’s determination to ensure the continuity and deepening of the HCD agenda.

“Government is a continuum. Nowhere is this truer than in programmes that demand patience, vision, and long-term commitment—programmes such as our Human Capital Development programme,” he noted.

He revealed that under HCD 2.0, six priority indicators from the health, education, and labour force sectors have been selected as “quick wins” to guide policy interventions and track measurable progress.

“We have carefully curated priority indicators and an HCD Dashboard to track them. This allows us to make informed policy decisions and measure our progress against tangible benchmarks,” Senator Shettima said.

The Nigerian Vice President also reaffirmed the administration’s resolve to remain transparent and results-oriented to achieve measurable outcomes.

“We will continue to hold ourselves accountable and press forward toward our bold goal to elevate Nigeria among the top 80 countries in Human Capital Index rankings,” he said.

Senator Shettima also called on the World Bank and other development partners to support the availability of disaggregated, state-level Human Capital Index (HCI) data to enable more targeted interventions.

Stressing the need for equity and inclusiveness in implementing the HCD 2.0 strategy, he said, “We are leaving no sub-national in Nigeria behind. Some of the states have already set a template for the others, having localised the HCD strategies to align with the peculiarities of their people while, of course, aligning them with the national strategy.”

The World Bank representatives at the meeting committed to strengthening the bank’s partnership with Nigeria to improve the country’s Human Capital Index and proposed senior-level stakeholder engagement to identify optimal areas for technical support.

There were also several speeches from representatives of Nigerian state governments, including Akwa Ibom and Lagos, as well as representatives of other local and international development organisations.

At World Bank/IMF Spring Meeting, VP Shettima Pushes For Nigeria’s HCD 2.0 Agenda

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Kaduna police rescue kidnapped woman, arrest two suspects

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Kaduna police rescue kidnapped woman, arrest two suspects

By: Zagazola Makama

The Kaduna State Police Command has rescued a kidnapped woman and arrested two suspects in connection with the crime in Kachia Local Government Area of the state.

Sources said the incident followed a report by one Williams Ayuba of Azara village, who disclosed that his wife, Theresa Williams, was abducted while working on their farm at Bishini village on Aug. 27.

Zagazola learnt that the operatives from Katari Division, in collaboration with sister security agencies, launched a search operation in the surrounding forests.

Sources added that on Aug. 29, acting on credible information, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Jere mobilised a rescue team which successfully rescued the victim unhurt.

The sources saod two suspects, Ibrahim Abdullahi, of Nasarawa Toto, and Kabiru Abdullahi, of Mallam Tanko village, were arrested.

“The suspects have confessed to the crime and provided useful information to the police. Efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang,” it added.

The victim, the sources said, was taken to Abaku Hospital for medical attention and has since been reunited with her family.

Kaduna police rescue kidnapped woman, arrest two suspects

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Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau

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Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

Four Nigerian soldiers have sustained injuries in a vehicle accident on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State.

The accident occurred on Thursday while the troops were moving across the mountainous terrain of the area, Zagazola reports.

The Emir of Mambilla, Dr. Shehu Audu Baju, was said to have personally joined in the rescue operation to ensure that the soldiers received prompt assistance.

Following the rescue, the injured personnel were evacuated to the 20 Battalion Barracks in Serti for urgent medical care.

Community members and traditional leaders in the area have expressed sympathy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the soldiers, while also calling for the safety of other security operatives on duty.

Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau

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UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series

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UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series

By: Michael Mike

The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), in partnership with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) have wrapped up a major national initiative to support State-led electricity market reforms.

The State Learning Workshop Series focused on Electricity Market Development, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and energy modelling software.

Workshops in Lagos, Calabar, Kano and Jos have been successfully completed, drawing participants from all the 36 States and the FCT and setting a strong precedent for what lies ahead.

These sessions equipped policymakers, regulators and stakeholders with the tools to design robust, sustainable and investor-ready electricity markets at the State level, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023.

Reflecting on the significance of this initiative, the Director-Legal/Head Power Desk at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Chijioke Chuku,, stated that: “Nigeria’s electricity future depends on the capacity of our States to lead with vision, clarity, and technical precision. Through the workshop series, we are equipping States not just with knowledge, but with the confidence to take charge of their electricity markets. The NGF is proud to partner with UKNIAF in ensuring that the promise of the Electricity Act 2023 becomes a lived reality across the country.”

The sessions in the State Learning Workshops covered: The legal and regulatory pathways for setting up State Electricity Markets; Commercial models for private sector investment; Integration of State plans into Nigeria’s National IRP;

Practical training on the software platform for energy modelling.

The initiative drew from lessons learned in the course of UKNIAF’s work supporting the Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Oyo State Governments—early movers in electricity market development—in setting up their markets.

It also drew from experience gained in the course of UKNIAF providing technical support to the Federal Ministry of Power in drafting both the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Nigeria’s first National Integrated Resource Plan, both of which were approved very recently.

With States now empowered by the Electricity Act 2023, this series is a timely and strategic effort to ensure capacity, coordination, and sustainability in Nigeria’s decentralised energy landscape.

UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series

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