The Nation Newspaper

Tag: human capital

  • Why Nigeria must invest in human capital, by Gates

    •Microsoft boss invested $1.6b in health, others •Osinbajo blames corruption for poor investments

    CO-CHAIR of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates has harped on the need for Nigeria to invest in its human capital.

    Gates, who stressed that Nigeria has unmatched economic potential, said growth would come naturally when Nigeria maximises its greatest resource – the people.

    He spoke yesterday at the expanded National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    The multi-billionaire and Dangote also visited the Emergency Operations Centre for polio in Abuja.

    Gates, whose foundation has invested more than $1.6 billion in Nigeria to date, is in the country to see first-hand the progress in primary healthcare provision, polio eradication, nutrition and financial inclusion.

    He said: “The Nigerian government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan identifies ‘investing in our people’ as one of three ‘strategic objectives. But the ‘execution priorities’ don’t fully reflect people’s needs, prioritising physical capital over human capital.

    “To anchor the economy over the long term, investments in infrastructure and competitiveness must go hand in hand with investments in people.

    “People without roads, ports, and factories can’t flourish. And roads, ports and factories without skilled workers to build and manage them can’t sustain an economy.”

    Gates urged political leaders to maximise the country’s resources which are its people as a way to help it to thrive.

    He said: “But growth is not inevitable. Nigeria has unmatched economic potential, but what becomes of that potential depends on the choices you make as Nigeria’s leaders.

    “The most important choice you can make is to maximise your greatest resources, the Nigerian people. Nigeria will thrive when every Nigerian is able to thrive.

    “If you invest in health, education, and opportunities – the ‘human capital’ we are talking about today – then they will lay the foundation for sustained prosperity. If you don’t, however, then it is very important to recognise that there will be a sharp limit on how much the country can grow.”

    Gates added: “You see this risk in the data. From the point of view of the quality of life, much of Nigeria still looks like a low-income country. Let me give a few examples.

    “In the middle income countries, the average life expectancy is 75 years. In lower middle income countries, it’s 68. In low income countries, it’s 62. In Nigeria, it is lower still: just 53 years.

    “Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth, with the fourth worst maternal mortality rate in the world, ahead of only Sierra Leone, Central African Republic,  and Chad.

    “One in three Nigerian children is chronically malnourished. I do not enjoy speaking to you this bluntly when you have been gracious enough to invite me here. But I am applying an important lesson I earned from Alhaji Aliko Dangote.”

    Noting that his foundation with the largest headquarters in Africa is sited in Nigeria, he said that he has also committed the sum of $1.6 billion in Nigeria with a plan to increase the amount.

    Making a PowerPoint presentation of a model of the trajectory of Nigeria’s economic growth, relating to health and education, Gates observed that if the present trend continues, the country cannot keep up with its population growth.

    On his recommendation for Nigeria’s ERGP review, he said: “The recommended percentage is assuming a higher level tax of collection than is taking place in Nigeria. So, it’s up to Nigeria to decide how much percentage tax they can allocate to that.”

    Osinbajo again blamed the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration for allegedly failing to transform the lives of Nigerians despite making huge money from crude oil.

    According to him, grand corruption prevented investments in healthcare, education and infrastructure.

    He said the last government shamelessly robbed government policies of most, if not all, of their intended impact.

    Osinbajo, however, assured that the present administration is determined to change things.

    He said: “To put Nigeria’s money to work for Nigerians, doing the most with the least, we have stayed true to that vision. Even as oil prices went into free fall, we ramped up investments in infrastructure, as well as our social spending.”

    On the challenges the Dangote Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have outlined at the event, Osinbajo said: “And we have no choice, because the problem literally grows daily.”

    According to him, Nigeria has strong economic growth and development ambitions, encapsulated in her Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, launched in 2017.

    He noted, however, that all those lofty ambitions can only be achieved through the determined application of human skill and effort.

    Chairman of Dangote Foundation Aliko Dangot, said for Nigeria to truly compete globally, it must prioritise investments in the health, education and opportunity for the people alongside other critical areas like infrastructure.

    “Together, these are the inputs that will make Nigeria richer,” he stressed.

    During a press briefing at the end of the meeting, Dangote said he would try to prevail on the private sector to contribute one per cent of their profit to health.

    According to him, two per cent is already going to educate.

    Ministers of Health Isaac Adewole  and Education Adamu Adamu also made presentations at the expanded meeting.

  • ‘Human capital key to refining Navy Band’

    ‘Human capital key to refining Navy Band’

    The Nigerian Navy Orchestral Department would deliver better refined renditions unique to her various folklores, if quality investments were channelled to human capital development, an Associate Professor, Stephen Olusoji, has said.

    The Head of Department, Creative Arts, University of Lagos (UNILAG) and guest lecturer at the Nigerian Navy Band Officers Conference held in Ota, Ogun State, said the creative art of music is a potent tool for driving national integration, mass orientation, promotion of government initiatives and positive projection of the country’s aesthetics.

    According to him, knowledge upgrade will not only reposition the band among international equals but also reaffirm its high repute as exemplified at the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) of 1977 and COJA 2003, among other international performances.

    “Retraining is an important issue that must be addressed for repositioning the force band. Training is an important index for measuring and evaluating efficiency, achievements and results. It should include basic rudiments of music, sound training on the various chosen instruments by well-tutored instructors, technology repair, composition and music aesthetics. Retraining engenders freshness of ideas, new techniques, methodologies and other innovations that will make the system run,” he said.

    The don stressed the enriching effect of infusing local flavour in their parade sessions through research of different cultural styles.

    Addressing the establishment of a full-fledged musical studio to enhance the division’s operations, the special guest of honour, Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Naval Training Command Rear Admiral Obi Ofodile said the government would renew its commitment to redress its needs.

    He commended the band’s performance, urging it to reignite the social demand for its performance at important functions.

    Represented by Commodore Ibrahim Shettima, he said: “With every organisation globally you tend to grow and develop your capacity with time and the Nigeria Navy school of music has spent about 25 years and certainly from that time till now there is a great achievement. I believe they could do better as the time progresses. I am happy that Ota has been very kind to the establishment here I believe there is more to offer to the community and there is more we also expect from the community.”

    Music School  Director, Commander Olalekan Abiodun said the school is vast in deriving complementary notes from percussions made from steel pan. He noted that following the training of two officers and four ratings in steel pan manufacturing technology at Trinidad and Tobago, the school develops steel instruments at Ota, Ogun State.

    The director added that the band had also developed from a sole division into other sections including dance and steel arms.

    “The conference was conceived out of the need to revitalise the music department in a good stead to maintain the lead and cutting edge in the Armed Forces music. It is also expected that the conference would encourage creativity and ingenuity within the ambit of professionalism in the music department, most especially from the band officers for better and greater performances,” he said.

     

  • Experts advise organisations on human capital development

    Organisations have been urged to adopt new strategies and approaches that focus more on developing human capital, to close the huge gap  in business performance potential.

    Human Resources experts who spoke at the third edition of the Deloitte’s Talent Management Platform (DTMP) and launch of its 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report, held recently in Lagos, noted that investment in human capital was the single most-effective way of not only promoting growth, but also distributing its benefits fairly.

    They further asserted that such investments would guarantee and promote better leadership, more effective management, better decision making and a greater return on investments (RoI).

    Speaking on the theme: “Rewriting the Rules for Digital Age,” consulting partner, Deloitte West Africa, Joseph Olofinsola, said as human capital experts, representing various organisations, there was the need to keep rewriting the rules of the practice through recruitment, promotion and discipline to attain and sustain the desired growth in the economy.

    He maintained that the new rules reflect the shift in mindset, behaviour and actions required to lead, organise, motivate, access, manage and engage the 21st century workforce.

    “The workforce is changing. It is more digital, more global, diverse, automation-savvy and social media proficient. At the same time, business expectations, needs, and demands are evolving faster than ever before. While some view this as a challenge, we see it as an opportunity to reinvent HR, talent and organisational practice.

    Also, as an opportunity to create platforms, processes and tools that will continue to evolve and sustain their value overtime. An opportunity to take the lead in what will likely be among the most significant changes to the workforce that we have seen,” he said.

    According to Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte West Africa, Fatai Folarin who was represented by Femi Abegunde, more than ever before, firms and institutions must recognise the importance of human capital as a critical first step in tapping into unrecognised potential.

    “At Deloitte, we focus on helping our clients achieve organisational excellence by improving their operational performance and developing their people. Organisations can continue to grow only if they have competent people.

    Consequently, organisations must value and invest in people because they are a unique asset to greater heights,” he stated.

    Panelists at the event were sector leaders such as Executive Director, Human Resources, Mobil Producing, Udom Inoyo, Human Resources Director, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc., Wale Adediran, Head, Corporate Services, AIICO Insurance, Mrs Phil Maduagwu and Human Resources Director, Airtel Nigeria, Gbemiga Owolabi, among others.

  • ‘Our human capital comes first’

    ‘Our human capital comes first’

    Sola Fijabi, an integrated marketing communications expert, is the Principal Partner, Brooks + Blake Nigeria Limited, a team of consultants with experience in PR, Media, Advertising, Brand Management, Procurement of Marketing Services, to mention just a few. Fijabi who is an alumnus of Leeds University Business School, UK, as well as a member of national and international professional bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, E-Marketing Association and AMBA UK, was part of the team that helped in establishing Nigeria as the fastest growing market for Guinness in the world. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf, he shares his experience managing men and resources over the years. Excerpts:

    Five us a summary of your career portraiture

    Before now, I have worked in the PR sector for awhile, ran a couple of businesses and small startups. I also worked with one of Nigeria’s biggest beverage companies, Guinness Nigeria Plc, before setting up shop known as Brooks + Blakes with a colleague. My background is PR, and I do really love PR, especially perception management.

    What’s your own assessment of the integrated marketing communications (IMC) sector in the country currently and what are your expectations for the sector this year?

    Like you know, the IMC is built around creativity and without that, no marketing communications agency would thrive. And I would say in Nigeria, we have started stepping up our game. You see shops owned by African companies actually doing even better than the other shops coming from outside this country. And we’re beginning to see more of that. And that bit that we’re playing, we’re one of those shops.

    For the past four to five years, we have latched on the opportunities within the industry and we’re bringing different game-changing ideas to clients who are discerning. I would say in 2015 and beyond, it’s going to be an exciting year. For the industry, the microeconomic indices, I believe, are looking great and after February, we start seeing the results.

    The industry is growing and PR as a sub-sector of the economy is growing as well. And the beautiful thing is that clients are beginning to appreciate PR all the more and what it adds to their business and then for every other agency that knows what they want, they tap into the vast opportunities therein.

    Perception is what PR companies market…

    (Cuts in) Yes, perception is everything.

    Though it’s intangible, some people hold the view that perception is something they should be able to own and take hold of. How is that possible?

    Perception is not something you can touch but something you can feel. When it comes to perception management, you cannot sell a lie; you can only package the truth and tell it whichever way you want to. Brands on the other hand are tangible. The budget of some brands and the clout of some brands are bigger than many nations, just one brand. If you take a brand like Google, Coca Cola, Guinness, these brands have, over the years, grown really big. You have a case where the brand grows beyond the product and in managing it too, you have to manage it in the space of managing perception. You have to be able to understand what the people really think about the brand. And that involves constant management because people are changing, taste is changing, and preferences are changing. And you have to adapt without necessarily changing the brand value and identity ultimately. I guess that’s when perception comes in.

    As a manager of men and resources, what’s your management style?

    My management style, I would say, first, I believe, when it comes to management, you have to put the business first. In all honesty, some businesses would rather put the top management first before the business itself. But if I go by what they taught us in school, we were told the business must be separated from the rest.

    So, my take is that let’s leave the business as an entity on its own and let it run. And if you’re fortunate like us in Brooks + Blakes, to have fantastic managers to work with, you give them the necessary environment to work with, teach them; let them run, allow for mistakes and also have a good reward system.

    But, most importantly, let each person within the system see a future for him or herself and they will bring everything they have on the table. And that’s been working for us at Brooks + Blakes.  Someone can sit down and say in the next five years, I want to sit where Sola is sitting, and the system has been designed to make it fair and pair out that way. And so far, it has worked for us. And I believe it is what a lot of small and medium scale enterprises should emulate because it’s that little bit that is missing in Nigeria. A lot of multinationals have gotten it right, what stops us from getting it right and doing the same thing?

    For me, I believe the most critical part of an organisation is the human capital. And you need to treat the human capital well. Let me say this, human capital must understand that there is a long vision. If the human capital understands the long-term goal and vision of the company, about what you want done, you now have to manage that human capital within the space to be able to achieve that long-term goal bearing in mind that this human capital have their own aspirations, they have their goals. And if it is not within that company, they would move on. What’s the essence of getting someone employed at the end of the day, after training the person, two or three years, he is gone. We have a very low turnover in Brooks + Blakes. And one of the reasons is that we’ve got a fantastic environment to work; fantastic team. And so, you want to get out of your bed in the morning and look forward to work for fantastic clients, work for fantastic people, add your own value and you’re appreciated for it. So, to summarise, I would say human capital comes first. For us, managing human capital is very key. And when I look across businesses, sometimes, we overlook this one thing and focus more on the building and other things. Human capital is very important.

    Now, how do you cope with erring staff, especially those who renege on their assignments?

    I think for me first, for everything that happens, I want to look at it as a positive; I usually look at the good side of everything, no matter how negative it might seem. One of the challenges, but I want to call it opportunities of leading people, is that you have to build trust. Trust in what you say and in what you do.  And sometimes, due to experiences or stories that some employees have heard, it’s very difficult sometimes to key in to that trust. Ordinarily, what would take you say may be one month to build, would take you six months. You tend to ask yourself, are you sure everybody is coming into this business with a broad mind or is it all about the bosses, the money and so on?

    I would say one of my biggest challenges was that and that was at the earlier part of the company. Because when you sit someone down and you’re saying, ok, we’re a small company, we’re going to grow. But you have to stay with us. You have to convince a very good talent, who says, why should I pitch tent with you?

    So, then, that was one of the biggest challenges I had when it comes to HR and also as an African business; to convince some clients, to say, ok, give us a chance, we can add value to your business. Luckily, some of our clients, especially the discerning ones, gave us that opportunity and I’m happy to say, we’ve not failed them. We’ve not betrayed their trust in us. We’re happy with them and they are happy with us. But I must emphasise that the journey has not been all smooth.

    With the benefit of hindsight, what has been the most difficult decision you have had to take as the CEO?

    You see, in the CEO’s lives, there are very many difficult decisions he takes. Be it HR, be it movement of office, even picking a job from a client or going for a pitch.  I won’t call them problems; I would call them everyday challenges. To be honest, I’m struggling to pick one because I enjoy what I do. As I said, I don’t look at the negative or the downside of things. But I’m not stupidly positive too. It’s just the plain truth. The way you look at a cup is whether it’s half full or empty. I always look at the cup half full. So, the everyday challenges we face, I cope with them. Now, operating business in Nigeria is not sometimes the easiest thing to do because you have the ethical part of the business you have to contend with. You have to state your values, and pushing those values have helped us. But I would say instilling the values have been one of the best things we’ve done, one of the challenging things we’ve faced as a business.

    Within the marketing communication segment industry, you find that a majority of the players are foreigners, especially when you consider the fact that some multinationals here would rather package their television viewing commercials and other project using foreign models and all of that. That, to me, doesn’t place any premium on government’s drive for local content. What’s your take on this?

    I think there is always room for improvement. But it’s working. There are principles and laws in place to take care of that. And sometimes when the client goes out with one ad, you might see the same ads running in other places.

    If you go to Kenya, to Mali, you see the same ads and that’s because instead of doing 10 different ads, they do one and make it kind of pan African.

    For us, we’re not solely into advertising, we don’t shoot ads. We’re more involved in perception management. But our work has even made such impression on some of our clients that they have even asked us to put up something for them outside the country. And that has spurred us to expand our frontiers. As we speak, we have an office in Central Africa Republic, as well as in Douala. So, the development has many positives in it.

  • ‘Our human capital comes first’

    ‘Our human capital comes first’

    Sola Fijabi, an integrated marketing communications expert, is the Principal Partner, Brooks + Blake Nigeria Limited, a team of consultants with experience in PR, Media, Advertising, Brand Management, Procurement of Marketing Services, to mention just a few. Fijabi who is an alumnus of Leeds University Business School, UK, as well as a member of national and international professional bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, E-Marketing Association and AMBA UK, was part of the team that helped in establishing Nigeria as the fastest growing market for Guinness in the world. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf, he shares his experience managing men and resources over the years. Excerpts:

    Five us a summary of your career portraiture

    Before now, I have worked in the PR sector for awhile, ran a couple of businesses and small startups. I also worked with one of Nigeria’s biggest beverage companies, Guinness Nigeria Plc, before setting up shop known as Brooks + Blakes with a colleague. My background is PR, and I do really love PR, especially perception management.

    What’s your own assessment of the integrated marketing communications (IMC) sector in the country currently and what are your expectations for the sector this year?

    Like you know, the IMC is built around creativity and without that, no marketing communications agency would thrive. And I would say in Nigeria, we have started stepping up our game. You see shops owned by African companies actually doing even better than the other shops coming from outside this country. And we’re beginning to see more of that. And that bit that we’re playing, we’re one of those shops.

    For the past four to five years, we have latched on the opportunities within the industry and we’re bringing different game-changing ideas to clients who are discerning. I would say in 2015 and beyond, it’s going to be an exciting year. For the industry, the microeconomic indices, I believe, are looking great and after February, we start seeing the results.

    The industry is growing and PR as a sub-sector of the economy is growing as well. And the beautiful thing is that clients are beginning to appreciate PR all the more and what it adds to their business and then for every other agency that knows what they want, they tap into the vast opportunities therein.

    Perception is what PR companies market…

    (Cuts in) Yes, perception is everything.

    Though it’s intangible, some people hold the view that perception is something they should be able to own and take hold of. How is that possible?

    Perception is not something you can touch but something you can feel. When it comes to perception management, you cannot sell a lie; you can only package the truth and tell it whichever way you want to. Brands on the other hand are tangible. The budget of some brands and the clout of some brands are bigger than many nations, just one brand. If you take a brand like Google, Coca Cola, Guinness, these brands have, over the years, grown really big. You have a case where the brand grows beyond the product and in managing it too, you have to manage it in the space of managing perception. You have to be able to understand what the people really think about the brand. And that involves constant management because people are changing, taste is changing, and preferences are changing. And you have to adapt without necessarily changing the brand value and identity ultimately. I guess that’s when perception comes in.

    As a manager of men and resources, what’s your management style?

    My management style, I would say, first, I believe, when it comes to management, you have to put the business first. In all honesty, some businesses would rather put the top management first before the business itself. But if I go by what they taught us in school, we were told the business must be separated from the rest.

    So, my take is that let’s leave the business as an entity on its own and let it run. And if you’re fortunate like us in Brooks + Blakes, to have fantastic managers to work with, you give them the necessary environment to work with, teach them; let them run, allow for mistakes and also have a good reward system.

    But, most importantly, let each person within the system see a future for him or herself and they will bring everything they have on the table. And that’s been working for us at Brooks + Blakes.  Someone can sit down and say in the next five years, I want to sit where Sola is sitting, and the system has been designed to make it fair and pair out that way. And so far, it has worked for us. And I believe it is what a lot of small and medium scale enterprises should emulate because it’s that little bit that is missing in Nigeria. A lot of multinationals have gotten it right, what stops us from getting it right and doing the same thing?

    For me, I believe the most critical part of an organisation is the human capital. And you need to treat the human capital well. Let me say this, human capital must understand that there is a long vision. If the human capital understands the long-term goal and vision of the company, about what you want done, you now have to manage that human capital within the space to be able to achieve that long-term goal bearing in mind that this human capital have their own aspirations, they have their goals. And if it is not within that company, they would move on. What’s the essence of getting someone employed at the end of the day, after training the person, two or three years, he is gone. We have a very low turnover in Brooks + Blakes. And one of the reasons is that we’ve got a fantastic environment to work; fantastic team. And so, you want to get out of your bed in the morning and look forward to work for fantastic clients, work for fantastic people, add your own value and you’re appreciated for it. So, to summarise, I would say human capital comes first. For us, managing human capital is very key. And when I look across businesses, sometimes, we overlook this one thing and focus more on the building and other things. Human capital is very important.

    Now, how do you cope with erring staff, especially those who renege on their assignments?

    I think for me first, for everything that happens, I want to look at it as a positive; I usually look at the good side of everything, no matter how negative it might seem. One of the challenges, but I want to call it opportunities of leading people, is that you have to build trust. Trust in what you say and in what you do.  And sometimes, due to experiences or stories that some employees have heard, it’s very difficult sometimes to key in to that trust. Ordinarily, what would take you say may be one month to build, would take you six months. You tend to ask yourself, are you sure everybody is coming into this business with a broad mind or is it all about the bosses, the money and so on?

    I would say one of my biggest challenges was that and that was at the earlier part of the company. Because when you sit someone down and you’re saying, ok, we’re a small company, we’re going to grow. But you have to stay with us. You have to convince a very good talent, who says, why should I pitch tent with you?

    So, then, that was one of the biggest challenges I had when it comes to HR and also as an African business; to convince some clients, to say, ok, give us a chance, we can add value to your business. Luckily, some of our clients, especially the discerning ones, gave us that opportunity and I’m happy to say, we’ve not failed them. We’ve not betrayed their trust in us. We’re happy with them and they are happy with us. But I must emphasise that the journey has not been all smooth.

    With the benefit of hindsight, what has been the most difficult decision you have had to take as the CEO?

    You see, in the CEO’s lives, there are very many difficult decisions he takes. Be it HR, be it movement of office, even picking a job from a client or going for a pitch.  I won’t call them problems; I would call them everyday challenges. To be honest, I’m struggling to pick one because I enjoy what I do. As I said, I don’t look at the negative or the downside of things. But I’m not stupidly positive too. It’s just the plain truth. The way you look at a cup is whether it’s half full or empty. I always look at the cup half full. So, the everyday challenges we face, I cope with them. Now, operating business in Nigeria is not sometimes the easiest thing to do because you have the ethical part of the business you have to contend with. You have to state your values, and pushing those values have helped us. But I would say instilling the values have been one of the best things we’ve done, one of the challenging things we’ve faced as a business.

    Within the marketing communication segment industry, you find that a majority of the players are foreigners, especially when you consider the fact that some multinationals here would rather package their television viewing commercials and other project using foreign models and all of that. That, to me, doesn’t place any premium on government’s drive for local content. What’s your take on this?

    I think there is always room for improvement. But it’s working. There are principles and laws in place to take care of that. And sometimes when the client goes out with one ad, you might see the same ads running in other places.

    If you go to Kenya, to Mali, you see the same ads and that’s because instead of doing 10 different ads, they do one and make it kind of pan African.

    For us, we’re not solely into advertising, we don’t shoot ads. We’re more involved in perception management. But our work has even made such impression on some of our clients that they have even asked us to put up something for them outside the country. And that has spurred us to expand our frontiers. As we speak, we have an office in Central Africa Republic, as well as in Douala. So, the development has many positives in it.