By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) on Thursday advise the Federal Government to focus on human capital development in order to ensure greater progress of the nation.
Malam Ahmed Gobir, the National President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute made the call in Ilorin during the 3rd Annual Conference of the Institute in Ilorin.
The theme of the conference is entitled: “”Human Resource Management in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous and Risky Environment World: Building Resilience and Agility”.
He said: “If you have capital, resources, skills and all that, you still require a human resource to harness all these to get the intended and expected results”.
The CIPM boss advised the Federal Government and all sub nationals to make minimum wage or living wage to employees the priority.
He also encouraged re-skilling and up-skilling of employees by way of training.
“As human resources professionals, our focus is always around human capital development.
“Often times we talk about factors of production, finance, capital, machinery, land, entrepreneurs, but we de- emphasize human capital and human resources.
“If you have capital, resources, skills and all that, you still require a human resource to harness all these to get intended and expected results,” he said.
Gobir assert that training, retraining, re-skilling and up-skilling equip workers with resources to be able to foray into other areas of growth and development.
He explaineand that the CIPM go from state to states to partner with federal and state governments to provide training and learning opportunities for civil servants.
Speaking also, Mr Issa Aremu, the Director General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS) commended the government on the new minimum wage.
He however appealed that there is more to be done in improving the economy and stabilizing the naira that keeps depreciating against the dollar.
Earlier in her welcoming address, the Chairman of the CIPM in Kwara state, Mrs. Olaide Ajiboye, lamented on the current challenges being faced by Nigerian workers, including insecurity, rising fuel prices, and fluctuations in dollar exchange rate.
Ajiboye said that the theme addresses the challenges of operating in a volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous and risky environment.
“This theme is apt and timely considering the increasing rate at which companies are shutting down production in Nigeria due to high operating cost.
“This was buttressed in the recent release by Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN) which states that about 737 companies have shut down in Nigeria from 2023 till date or relocated to other countries,” she said.
She also emphasized the need to make environment conducive for business in Nigeria to thrive.
“We will explore the innovative practices and emerging trends that are shaping how we operate in a turbulent environment.
“Our collective goal is to equip ourselves with the insights and tools necessary to navigate the evolving workplace landscape,” she said.