Nigeria and human development index
Human development is the process of enlarging people’s freedoms and opportunities and improving their well-being. Human development is about the real freedom ordinary people have to decide who to be, what to do, and how to live. To the UNDP human capital development report 1990, human capital development is ‘a process of enlarging people’s choices.’ […]
Human development is the process of enlarging people’s freedoms and opportunities and improving their well-being. Human development is about the real freedom ordinary people have to decide who to be, what to do, and how to live.
To the UNDP human capital development report 1990, human capital development is ‘a process of enlarging people’s choices.’ The report further emphasized that the most critical of these wide-ranging choices are to live a long and healthy life, to be educated and to have access to resources needed for a decent standard of living. Additional choices include political freedom, guaranteed human rights and personal self-respect.
Recently while reading through the online newspapers, I came across disturbing news which reads: “The World Bank has ranked Nigeria 152nd out 157 countries captured in its maiden Human Development Index, HDI.”
It was reported that the President of the World Bank Group, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, disclosed this at the on-going Annual Meetings in Bali, Indonesia, which is focused on two key development issues, climate change and human capital development.
And like many other African States, the World Bank boss said, Nigeria is in the red zone because the country’s health and education budgets were too low.
Kim was quoted to have said that the education outcomes in Nigeria are very poor and Nigeria is one of the most important countries not only in Africa but the world and we feel that they should go on a different level altogether in terms of their commitment to investment in human capital.
Despite the genuineness of the above report, by penchant for Nigeria did not allow me to believe that Nigeria will be ranked 152 out of 157 over anything.
Much later I came across another report in the Dailypost which reads; “Presidency lists 64 achievements of Buhari” I read through it and I find out that it was Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie that disclosed it in a statement titled ‘Sixty Four Achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari in Agricultural Sector’ which she published on her Facebook page.
To my dismay, after reading the achievements of President Buhari, I did not find anything that has to do with human development. What featured prominently on the list was issue of fertilizer, Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) Programme among others.
It is without doubt that this government has misplaced its priorities. This is because human capital development as defined above is a process of enlarging people’s choices. And this choice entails healthy life, to be educated, having access to resources needed for a decent standard of living, political freedom, guaranteed human rights and personal self-respect.
Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution which is termed as ‘fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy’ provides that the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring that- there are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons: Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; control the national economy in such manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity; every citizen shall have equality of rights, obligations and opportunities before the law; the sanctity of the human person shall be recognised and human dignity shall be maintained and enhanced.
As a passionate and patriotic Nigerian, I couldn’t fathom why the present Buhari Administration enjoys misplacing priorities. It is high time they quickly correct their mistakes and know that the basic objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy lives.
Ibrahim Muazzam Musa. Abuja.