Human Capital Development

Africa's human capital gap which is derived from the Global Human Capital Index is quite poor and needs attention.

Nigeria is our current focus, and we hope to bridge the human capital gap through the project (The Human Capital Development Project) we are currently carrying out in under-served communities or lower socioeconomic areas.

There's need to galvanize efforts to drive human capital investment to overcome the large gaps in education and learning, coupled with the ever growing challenge of unemployment. Investment in people is a panacea to bridging the human capital gap, in Africa and globally.

We have designed a capacity building framework, and hope to partner with relevant organizations in order to empower, equip and train individuals for them to be well positioned for opportunities that will improve their socioeconomic well-being as well as meet their learning needs.

The Global Human Capital Index Components informed the Human Capital Development Project which seeks to address the problem of Africa's human capital gap, beginning with Nigeria. Click here for more

The human capital gap may be a global issue, but we are working to close the gap from our end.

There's need to galvanize efforts to drive human capital investment to overcome the large gaps in education and learning, coupled with the ever growing challenge of unemployment. Investment in people is a panacea to mitigating all of the above. Click here to read more

We're working to bridge the human capital gap in order to solve the problem of unemployment.

The Human Capital Development Project is an initiative that is born out of the need to confront and address the challenge of human capital gap, with a focus on underserved communities.

The program is currently designed for public school students living in underserved communities, Senior Secondary School 1 and 2 (SSS 1 and 2), and it comprises of training on life skills, digital skills, problem solving skills, and talent development.

The students at the end of the program are placed on internship with organizations of their interest between 1-3 month for experiential learning.

The program also seeks to develop the talent and potential of participants by linking them up with partners (organizations) who are skilled in that area.

This is a part of our solution framework designed after the mission of the organization, here's it below:

Life Skills Training

For adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life. They include; decision making, communication and interpersonal skills.

Digital Skills

The future is digital and the future of work is changing, hence, the need for these sets of skills. 

Problem solving Skills

We also want to birth a generation of problem solvers through the project.

Beneficiaries are given assignments and asked to do projects at all skills level for outcome measurement.

There is probably no new thing under the sun as they say, but our solution is one that is research-based and partnership-driven.

Also, the solution gains insight from the research and data provided by the World Bank Global Report and Research on Human Capital then, we adapt it to the needs of the individuals we engage.

One of the skills we train beneficiaries on is digital skills which helps to prepare them for the jobs of the future, exposing them to online learning and how to make the most of the web.

Our solution uses the problem-to-project process leveraging digital technology. We also employ the social network technology in communicating and engaging them.

The interview we have with the beneficiaries at the point of engaging with them forms the basis for our expectations to address the problem.

We also give group assignments and projects to individuals often in order to ensure that the output of our solution is in tandem with what we want to achieve with respect to the problem.

We hope to place the beneficiaries on 1-3 month internship to gain experiential learning as a means to measure the impact of our solution.

We are currently serving about 100 people because we started some months ago, this year. And, we hope to serve about 1000 in one year, and up to 10,000 in five years.

In clear terms, we hope to raise new breed of problem solvers. Whatever project we do, we ensure it doesn't end with the beneficiary by  keeping track on their development and engagement with what they have been trained or taught.

As a way to ensure a ripple effect of our effort, we instill volunteerism mentality in them by making them understand that they have the responsibility to give back to the society. 

Furthermore, each beneficiary is automatically a volunteer upon completion of the training, after one year of training. They are also deployed to areas that need their skill and expertise. This gives them the opportunity to give back to the society as we have told them from the start of the training.

So, in the next one year, we hope to have ambassadors (beneficiaries) who are willing to replicate what they have benefited in any society that they find themselves. Below is our goals in the years to come, five years and beyond;

• By 2025, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

• By 2025, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.

• By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

• Access to training and mentorship

• Funding

• Lack of corporate structure and process

Currently, the funding is sourced from my personal savings and support from friends and family. The training and mentorship is done with the help of partners and volunteers.

We are largely depending on partnerships to overcome the above challenges.

Myself and 3 volunteers make the solution team currently

We are a team of young people with creative and problem-solving mindset, imbued with different skills and field of study.

What brought us together is to solve problems leveraging technology, and contribute to sustainable, inclusive growth. Below is our brief individual bio.

CHIDI JOSEPH ODINANWA (Myself)

A graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (BSc. Cooperative Economics and Management). With over 2 years’ experience in business management, volunteering and teaching, and one year experience as a digital marketer and trainer. 

Currently a Google My Business Trusted Verifier; helps small businesses with their online presence. He's a creative thinker, tech savvy and development actor with unquenchable interest in solving problems leveraging technology and digital tools.

OLUWATIMILEYIN IBUKUNOLUWA ADEKUNLE

A lady of 24, interested in women, children and technology.  Graduated from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, where she studied Pure and Applied Mathematics.  She's a Data Engineer by profession.  And, currently studying machine learning and artificial intelligence.  She hopes to have a technology university in Nigeria where skills can be acquired affordably.

AFFAMUEFUNA JANE NKEIRUKA

She's currently a District Officer for the Scout Association of Nigeria, and a Google Digital Skills Support Trainer through the Google Digital Skills for Africa Program. She's interested in women, youths and technology. She's a web designer and have interest in python.

GABRIEL JIMOH

A multi-talented undergraduate of University of Lagos, studying Social Works. Currently volunteering for 9ineteenworks as one of the Co-host on Teens Time with Chichi, a Radio Show, a writer on 9ineteen magazine and a speaker on the 9ineteen Dstv Teenager show.

We are partnering with MindtheGap Innovation Hub, FirstWealth Tech and Digital.ng to train and give the beneficiaries workplace experience.

And, we hope to get more partners because the population we serve is quite huge, and are willing to embrace the solution.

Below is how we provide value to our beneficiaries, which currently represents our value proposition.

ACQUIRE/DISCOVER

Everyone has potential and interest. Inherent in each one of us is a desire to succeed which can be propelled by one of our interests and flair for doing a particular thing, and could also be discovered, learned or harnessed. Through interview, individuals are helped and engaged based on their areas of interest.

DEVELOP

With the help of partners, Individuals are taken through training relevant to their area of interest and in preparation for the future they want.

Life Skills Training

For adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life. They include; decision making, communication and interpersonal skills.

Digital Skills

The future is digital and the future of work is changing, hence, the need for these sets of skills. 

Problem solving Skills

We also want to birth a generation of problem solvers through the project.

Individual projects are submitted at different periods in order to ascertain and measure project outcome.

DEPLOY

Internship placement for experiential learning as a means to measure the impact of the program on individuals

Basically, our funding model is currently based on grant and support from partners, friends and family.

Majorly, I need the network and connections that Solve has created, to build the partnerships needed to accelerate our impact on under-served communities and individuals, validate our impact and business model, and scale our solution. 

• The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria, and The British Council for funding.
• Arc Skills for designing a curriculum and life-career based training for beneficiaries
• Google and Microsoft for training and mentoring the team and volunteers on digital skills relevant for beneficiaries and skills transfer.

The training which beneficiaries will get will be on skills relevant for their future, which includes training on digital technology, life skills and problem-solving skills.

Receiving this prize will mean a whole lot to my team and I because, it will help to make our impact reach more lower socioeconomic areas and the vulnerable population especially, the girl child, women and children.