Ekiti State Deputy Governor Mrs. Monisade Afuye, has said N2 billion has so far been committed to upgrading schools across the 16 local government areas and 18 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.
Mrs Afuye made this known on Tuesday, in Ado-Ekiti, at a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on the implementation of Human Capital Development (HCD).
She said Governor Biodun Oyebanji made human capital development the third pillar of his policy-thrust upon assumption of office, thereby substantiating how desirous the government was in developing the productive population.
Afuye said the government had also been widening the scope of healthcare delivery and universal health coverage, through great investments in primary healthcare.
This, she said, was to mitigate the scourge of maternal and child mortality, low life expectancy and untimely deaths of people in the state.
The deputy governor saluted the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for release of the first tranche of funds to Ekiti, through the National office of Human Capital Development Programme, to begin life-changing projects in some critical sectors.
She said the heartwarming indexes the government was recording in education, health and human capital development, were clear, and well amplified testimonies to the huge investment being made by the government in those critical areas of the economy.
“As a serious government, adequate attention must be given to healthcare, nutrition, quality education, skills and jobs provision.
“If care is not taken, idle youth population portends an increased risk of social instability.
“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to invest in relevant skills as we provide good paying jobs and opportunities,” the deputy governor said.
She said since January, this year, the administration had recruited 1,500 teachers for primary schools and 500 into secondary schools.
“We want to assure you that we will continue to invest in human capital development,”Mrs Afuye said.
According to her, the government had also demonstrated significant commitment to boosting universal health coverage, unfettered access to family planning, antenatal care delivery, free treatment for under five children and free malaria treatment for all.
“The government has also approved payment of new salary structures for health workers in the primary healthcare development cadre, to serve as morale booster,” she said.
Also, the Special Adviser to the governor on Human Capital Development (HCD), Mr Gbenga Agbeyo, said the national office of the body was established in 2018, under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari , sequel to poor rating of Nigeria by World Bank in terms of HCD.
Agbeyo said the administration of Oyebanji had been taking proactive actions, aimed at putting Ekiti on the world map of progressive states, in job provision, access to quality education and wealth creation.
He said the state’s readiness was exemplified in the level of synergy it had continued to have with the South-West Health Capital Development Regional Consultant, Mr Adedayo Adeyanju, to uplift Ekiti in the sectors captured under HCD.
