Abia State is taking a significant step towards promoting human capital development by partnering with the media to showcase its investments in health, education, labour and workforce participation, and agriculture.
The Chairwoman, Civil Service Commission Pst. Dr. Eno Jerry Eze, the focal person of the Human Capital Development (HCD) programme in Abia State, announced this partnership during a two-day training for media workers at the Aguiyi Ironsi Conference Centre in Umuahia.
The vision of Abia State, “to restore Abia State’s glory and make it the number one state in Nigeria,” is a commitment the State Governor, His Excellency Governor Alex Otti, takes seriously. According to Pastor Dr. Eno Jerry-Eze, “HCD resonates with the governor’s vision and strategic focus, “Putting the Abia people first.” It is about developing skills, knowledge, and abilities of individuals and improving our quality of life.
The key objectives of this media partnership are to promote accountability, advocate for policy changes that support human capital development, and mobilise community support.
Pastor Dr. Eno further disclosed that the media training will help the media develop impact-focused human-angle stories.
Pastor Dr. Eno reiterated that the HCD thematic areas are:
Education, Health and Nutrition, Labour Force Participation, and for Abia State Agriculture (food security)
The HCD programme in Abia State is linked to the UN Development Goals 2030 and is aligned with the ate’s policy targets and multi-sectoral plans for investment in human capital. One of the mediums for achieving this is the state government’s budget.
Pastor Eno Jerry-Eze explained the state HCD implementation structure in Abia State, which has the Deputy Governor Engineer Ikechukwu Emetu as the Chairman, Pst. Dr. Eno Jerry as the focal person, and the Commissioners of the Focal MDAs as members of the State HCD Council.
Pastor Dr. Eno Jerry-Eze also revealed that the HCD programme in Abia is led by the Deputy Governor Engineer Ikechukwu Emetu as the Chairman, Pst. Dr. Eno Jerry Eze as the Focal Person, and Commissioners from the focal MDAs as members of the State HCD Council.
Media consultant Mr. Bankole Ebisemiju emphasised the importance of consistent content and advised journalists to choose a particular sector to identify issues and report objectively. He noted that the media plays a significant role in public advocacy work, influencing decision-makers and public opinion.
The training was well-received, with Assistant Head of Information and Press, Government House Umuahia, Mr. Divine Nwankwo, expressing gratitude to Governor Alex Otti and the State Civil Service Commission and HCD secretariat for organising the training.
In a vote of thanks on behalf of the participants, the Assistant Head of Information and Press, Government House Umuahia, Mr. Divine Nwankwo, appreciated Governor Alex Otti and the State Civil Service Commission for organising media training for journalists in Abia State.
Mr. Nwankwo, who described the training as unprecedented and first of its kind in the history of the Abia State Government, commended the resource person for his rich knowledge shared with the media practitioners and assured that they would put what they had learned into practice and help in promoting the activities of HCD.
“I wish to thank very sincerely Governor Alex Otti, OFR, and the management of the Abia State Civil Service Commission for putting together this training for media workers in Abia State.”
