Nigeria has enough manpower for national development — Tinubu

• Several Academic Staff Union of Universities chapters attributed the mass departure to the challenging work conditions in public universities and issues surrounding the Federal Government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System
  

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President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, said Nigeria has the requisite and sufficient manpower to spur development across all sectors of the economy.

“Who says that we do not have it as a country? Commitment to research and development; that high level of inquisitiveness, the manpower needed is here,” said Tinubu when he received a report titled, ‘Industrialisation, Energy Security, and Climate Change: Issues, Challenges and Prospects,’ submitted by the Senior Executive Course 45 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, at the State House, Abuja.

The President’s comments come on the heels of the exodus of qualified professionals in the Nigeria’s workforce ranging from academics, healthcare practitioners, engineers, techies and lots more.

Several Academic Staff Union of Universities chapters attributed the mass departure to the challenging work conditions in public universities and issues surrounding the Federal Government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.

Additionally, in 2022, the Nigeria Medical Association stated that around 2,000 doctors had left the country to work abroad in a span of two years, with more planning to do so. Despite having 80,000 doctors registered, only about 24,000 are presently practicing in Nigeria.

However, the President argued recently that the country still possesses enough human resources to drive its developmental aspirations.

Tinubu, upon receiving the NIPSS report, assured graduates that his administration would examine the document and incorporate important recommendations into existing policies and programs within the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed this in a statement titled ‘President Tinubu: Nigeria has sufficient manpower for economic, national development.’

Commending the report’s wealth of research and recommendations, he said: “I give you credit for a good job done. This report will be treated with all seriousness. You have fished out the issues.

“You have noted the challenges, and you have recommended very constructive solutions and showed the roadmap to achieve sustainable development goals for our country. Definitely, our hope is renewed.”