Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State has during “Human Capital Development Communications Strategy Validation Meeting” organised by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led National Economic Council (NEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja decried of human capital development in the Northwest which he described as close to war torn Afghanistan.
El-Rufa’i has said that the only way to avert treding the path of Afghanistan is through massive education intervention to fight banditry and kidnapping.
“I represent the North West zone in Human Capital Development Council. And as you know, our part of the country is afflicted with the highest numbers of out-of-school children. Some of the highest poverty rate and some of the highest drop-out rates in our schools,” he noted.
El-Rufa’i lamented the situation of schools die to insecurity that many accross the Northwest are closed.
“As if that is not enough, many of our schools are now closed due to the insecurity around our boarding schools. In most of the states of the North West, schools have been closed for a while, while security operations are taking place making our educational situation even worse.
“Our health statistics are not better. This is why you will notice that only the North West has the highest representation of governors or Deputy Governors here. My elder brother, the deputy governor of Katsina, is here. Because this subject is very, very important to us. It is what keeps us awake at night.”
Desribing the population of the Northwest, El-Rufa’i noted that “have the largest population of any geopolitical zone in the country. That is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing if we keep the population healthy and educate the children and give them skills for the future. Because, if they’re not educated, they’re not healthy and they feel hopeless.
“This is what we’re seeing with our insecurity. Most of the bandits we arrest have never gone to school. They have no notion of religion, whether Christianity or Islam, and they have no hope. If we don’t invest in education, health care, nutrition, our situation will just get worse.”
He stressed the need by state governors to fund substantially the education sector and urged the politicians to do “the right thing.”
