The World Bank Group few days ago advised Nigeria to reduce its dependence on crude oil revenues and develop capacity of its citizens. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, who spoke at the opening of the 2017 World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington D.C, said Nigeria needed to invest in its people and develop their capabilities to create wealth. He said to help Nigeria address its challenges; the World Bank was working to maximize finance for development. The global lender is pursuing private sector solutions to help achieve development goals and reserve scarce public finance for where it is most needed, particularly investments in human capital. The global lender will continue to partner with the Federal Government to support people displaced by Boko Haram in the Northeast. Kim said the bank was undertaking a Human Capital Project to help Nigeria invest more – and more effectively – in its people. The project will show how long-term investments in people can help grow economies – and create the political space for leaders to make critical investments.

The State of Osun in south-western Nigeria raised a sukuk bond worth ten billion naira (some $62 million) from the capital market to fund educational development which is the foundation of human capital. It was the first of such step by Africa’s biggest economy. Governor Aregbesola is aware that Islamic financial instruments such as sukuk have been used to finance infrastructure projects in human capital in other countries. The funds were used to finance human capital projects in the construction of education projects, among other development initiatives with which Aregbesola hopes to lay a solid foundation for the future of the state. Eleven High Schools with a total of 720 classrooms are at various stages of completion across the State. Two other High Schools are proposed for construction in Osogbo to accommodate the total population of high school students in Osogbo metropolis. There are eleven schools in all in the sukuk bond. The bond is exclusively for high school development.

The High Schools for human capital development are: Wole Soyinka High School, Ejigbo, Ataoja High School, Osogbo, Fakunle Unity High School, Osogbo, Oduduwa High School, Ile Ife, Ila High School, Ila-Orangun, Adventist High School, Ede, Iwo High School, Iwo, Akinorun High School, Ikirun and Ayedaade High School, Ikire.

The State Government of Osun, under the leadership of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, in its resolve to champion inspiring innovations for Africa in human capital, has undertaken a ground breaking step to utilise ICTs to concisely tackle the learning problem through the Opón Ìmò Initiative. Opon-Imo (Tablet of Knowledge), an e-learning device which solved educational needs of Senior Secondary School students in Osun State. Opon Imo has become one of the biggest known digital initiative in Osun’s educational history and Nigeria. Opon Imo has solve the educational needs of the state and cut cost in the sector as promised by Aregbesola upon its inauguration, the project has solved the major educational problems of the state, leaving with it huge progress in human capital that the state had battled with for a long time.

The State, through its Opón Ìmò Technology Enhanced Learning System (OTELS), has developed a learning tool that could revolutionize learning in developing states around the world. This tool is called the Opón Ìmò, “Tablet of Knowledge”. As we transit towards knowledge driven economies, the need to build human capacity to gain competitive advantage has become a front burner issue for developed and developing nations. This situation is seen as more critical for developing nations which hold the majority of the world’s uneducated and have suffered decades of education infrastructure neglect.

Whether critics like it or not, Governor Aregbesola has laid the foundation and remains the pioneer of digital education for the development of human capital in Nigeria and he represents an agent of change as far as digital education is concerned in Nigeria. The history of Digital Education will remember Governor Aregbesola as the first Nigerian to implement the UNESCO recommendation on digital education. Nigerians need to visit Osun Sukuk Schools, Middle Schools and Elementary Schools for the development of human capital. Governor Aregbesola has undertaken to build and equip schools with computer classrooms and training teachers to use digital media in education. In this line, Opon Imo “local content’’ in digital education has allowed teachers to use tablets to teach students. In the history of Nigeria, Governor Aregbesola will be remembered as the first leader to introduce digital education. Like India, the State of Osun is working to improve on Opon Imo. In years to come, Governor Aregbesola will be remembered as a pioneer of digital education in Nigeria.

According to World Bank, long-term investments in people would help economies grow. Over the next years, we would be working with a wide range of experts and economists in education, to help develop human capital,” Kim said, adding: “If you look at the numbers in terms of how successful African countries have invested in their human beings, versus other regions, you will know that it is a real issue. From next year, not just in Nigeria, but in the rest of Africa, we are going to focus on accelerating investments in human capital as well as investments in education, for the next phase in economic growth.” Kim also said the World Bank would be focusing on supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) initiatives

Governor Aregbesola has realized that the skills, knowledge, and innovation that people accumulate are the greatest assets of economies on the rise. Recent evidence shows that human capital explains up to two thirds of income differences across the world. This is profoundly important for Africa today. Smart and timely investments in human capital will play the central role in shaping the trajectory of African nations in the coming decades, for a number of reasons. Without a greater supply of home grown talent in areas such as agriculture, energy, extractive industries, construction, manufacturing, and information and communication technology, it will be hard to build prosperous, inclusive, and resilient economies that can compete and succeed globally.

In line with World Bank advice, Aregbesola has always maintained that his administration focused on the six-point integral action plan which has over the years made his government to focus on social security areas through schemes such as the O-YES, O-MEALS, O-AMBULANCE and the welfare scheme for the aged among others. “From the onset, our goal for the people of the state was clear to us. As part of our efforts to take our people out of poverty, we re-energised the school feeding programme which we met on ground. “The OMEAL programme of our state has turned subsistence farming into a commercial venture in Osun. It has boosted the sales of agricultural products in the state tremendously” Aregbesola stated.

UNICEF had led top government officials drawn from 17 states in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria to Osun for a four-day learning tour of its various social investment programmes. Consequently, Osun developmental programmes have also impacted on the socio-economic profile of the state as reported by reputable institutions. In 2015, The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) rated Osun 2nd Highest in Human Development Index among the 36 states in the Country. In 2014, Renaissance Capital (RENCAP) in its 36 shades of Nigeria economic review of states ranked Osun as the 7th largest economy in Nigeria, while in 2013 the NBS rated Osun as the state with the lowest poverty rate in Nigeria. The government’s infrastructure development efforts has already started yielding results as investments and production has been on the rise in Osun: In 2009, the famous International Breweries, Ilesa, known for Trophy brand which serves the South West and beyond, doubled its production capacity to cater for the boost in local economy. Tuns Farms, an indigenous poultry company, in partnership with small holder farmers, ramped up broiler production to position the state as the second largest broiler producer in the country. Omoluabi Garment Factory, a Public-Private-Partnership between Sam and Sara Garments and the State Government of Osun emerged as the largest Garment Factory in West Africa. An indigenous computer assembly plant, RLG Adulawo also set shop in Osun as a result of the favourable infrastructure in the State. These and more are the direct and indirect investment results of the administration’s bet for a prosperous future and these efforts are paying off.

The government’s strategic investment in the critical basic education level in human capital has delivered training and re-training for teachers, giving the importance of these to the learning experience. So far, 277 model schools with 1,811 modern classrooms have been built or rehabilitated. The schools are being furnished with 26,922 sets of chair and table. Every school day in Osun, 253,000 elementary school children receive nutritious meals produced largely by local farmers, to boost health and cognitive capability at their formative stage, as well as boost local food production. The Osun School feeding programme is the longest running of its kind in the country.

In six years, Osun has through its basic education agency, invested over N8.5 billion to build capacity, both in human and physical infrastructure. This investment in education is driven by the resolve of the administration to equip the future generation of Osun with the best possible resources regardless of their background, so they can seek a better and prosperous future for themselves and consequently for the State.

Despite its limited resources, the State of Osun has continued to champion delivery of an integral human development agenda. Osun in the last six years has made unprecedented investments in security towards the greater welfare of the people. Twenty five high capacity Armoured Personnel Carriers were deployed, being the largest contribution to the Nigerian Police by a state government at the time of deployment. The state today enjoys a functional 24-hour emergency ambulance services with a fleet of 50 brand new vehicles across the 31 local government areas. This state-wide ambulance service is powered by 408 well-trained and kitted paramedics, who have attended to more than 8,000 cases since inception. This quality of service in concept and implementation is unprecedented in the annals of the state.

Osun has also invested concisely in the empowerment of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), given the trickle-up impact these make to socio-economic development. The government has so far deployed over N7 billion to 50,000 beneficiaries spread across 4,500 cooperatives and/or businesses targeted at market women, small scale farmers, artisans and physically-challenged individuals. Through its welfare programme for critically poor citizens, the government has supported 16,250 widows and disadvantaged persons.

Through the State’s partnership with the World Bank, The Osun Agency for Community and Social Development Project (OSUN CSDP), has reached 1,073,129 beneficiaries in rural communities by committing at least N2 billion to several social developmental projects. The partnership is delivering 356 inclusive, gender sensitive and multi-sectoral micro projects, covering Education, Rural Electrification, Primary Health Care, Transportation, Potable Water provision in 263 communities across the state. Osun in partnership with the World Bank, RAMP 2 programme, also delivered 250 km of rural roads to open up farms in rural areas. The state is on course to deliver the next set of 250 km. It is noteworthy that Osun is one of just six states selected to partake in this programme. In all, the government has so far delivered road infrastructure to the tune of more than 1000 km, opening up our rural enterprises and areas, connecting urban centres and positioning the state as a trade and production hub. Other construction projects delivered include 20 Elementary Schools and 22 Middle Schools all completed and in use. Many more are still under construction.

The various social protection policies being implemented in Osun by the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration came up for a four-day study as the United Nations International and Children Emergency Fund UNICEF brought sixteen other Nigerian states for a tour. This was even as the Chief of Field Officer and Coordination of the United Nation’s International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Dr. Annefrida Kisesa, commended Governor Aregbesola for being committed to human and capital developments of his people in spite of economic challenges. UNICEF and the sixteen other states have organised a social protection tour of Osun which will last for about four days to enable them understudy the social protection initiatives being implemented in Osun. The programme will also enable them to study the impact of the wellbeing of the children and women and draw lessons to formulate policies on social interventions programmes of the organisation and the participating states. Visiting officials were drawn from Abuja, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Enugu, Lagos, Katsina, Ondo, Sokoto, Rivers, Zamfara, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Anambra, Benue, Delta in addition to UNICEF staff from various field offices in Nigeria.

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Inwalomhe Donald writes from Benin City [email protected]