Shettima Urges Urgent Investment in Northern Nigeria’s Health and Education Sectors

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has renewed calls for immediate and sustained investment in health, education, and skills development across Northern Nigeria, warning that years of inadequate human capital development have contributed to persistent poverty, poor health outcomes, and limited opportunities for many communities.

Speaking through Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Vice President, at the Northern Nigeria Human Capital Development Summit in Abuja, Shettima said the region’s future will depend largely on how quickly governments and stakeholders prioritise investment in people.

The summit was organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in partnership with the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum and brought together governors, policymakers, traditional leaders, development partners, and education stakeholders.

Addressing participants at the summit, the Vice President described Northern Nigeria as the part of the country that has borne the greatest consequences of weak human capital investment.

According to him, the effects are evident in maternal mortality, low school enrolment, and the inability of many young people to access opportunities that could improve their lives.

He stated:

“There is no part of this country that has paid the price for the inadequacy of human capital as much as Northern Nigeria.”

Shettima added that despite the North’s large population and significant potential, sustainable development would remain difficult without deliberate policies that place education, healthcare, nutrition, and vocational development at the centre of governance.

He pointed to the Federal Government’s Human Capital Development (HCD) 2.0 Strategy as a framework designed to improve outcomes in education, healthcare delivery, livelihoods, and workforce preparedness.

The Vice President also reminded state governments that implementation responsibility rests largely with them.

According to him:

“The classrooms are in your states. The primary healthcare centres are under your authority. No federal programme can educate the child you have not enrolled or save the mother you have not reached.”

Also speaking at the summit, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State highlighted structural challenges slowing development across Northern communities.

He identified the Almajiri system, rising numbers of out-of-school children, and early marriage as issues requiring urgent and coordinated intervention.

Governor Sule disclosed that Nasarawa State repatriated more than 200,000 Almajiri children during the COVID-19 period in an effort to reduce pressure on vulnerable communities and improve access to formal education.

However, he noted that the broader challenge remains unresolved.

According to the governor, northern states account for approximately 15 million of Nigeria’s estimated 18 million out-of-school children.

He said:

“If we are serious about human capital development, we must address out-of-school children, early marriage and the conditions that continue to keep young people out of education.”

Sule called for stronger collaboration among governors, traditional institutions, religious leaders, and lawmakers to develop long-term reforms, including legislative support and expanded access to formal and vocational education.

Human capital development remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing development challenges, particularly in Northern Nigeria, where educational deficits, insecurity, unemployment, and poverty are closely linked.

Experts have consistently argued that expanding access to quality education and healthcare is essential to reducing insecurity, improving economic productivity, and creating pathways for long-term growth.

The summit’s discussions reflect growing concern that without stronger investment in children and youth, development goals across the region may remain difficult to achieve.

The emphasis on education, healthcare, and skills training also aligns with broader national conversations on economic competitiveness and social stability.

The message from the Northern Nigeria Human Capital Development Summit was clear: infrastructure alone cannot drive development without investment in people.

Vice President Shettima and regional leaders stressed that transforming Northern Nigeria will require more than policy declarations—it will demand sustained funding, stronger accountability, and practical measures that improve education, healthcare access, and opportunities for young people.

As governments continue to discuss reforms, stakeholders say the true measure of success will be visible improvements in the lives of communities across the region. In

Reference to Vanguard Nigeria.