Human Capital Development in the Education Sector of Ebonyi State, Nigeria, 2001 - 2011

ABSTRACT This study undertook an examination of human capital development, in the education sector of Ebonyi State. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to: (i) examine the extent to which the provisions for Human Capital Development, in the Education Sector 7 of Ebonyi State, have been effectively implemented (ii) identify the challenges to the effective implementation of human capital development in the education sector of Ebonyi state (iii) examine how the challenges of Human Capital Development, in the Education Sector of Ebonyi State, have been addressed (iii) ascertain if there are plausible measures in place, for overcoming the problems of Human Capital Development, in the Education Sector of Ebonyi State. The research adopted the survey research design. In this regard, the data for the work were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. The primary source comprised the data from the questionnaires that were distributed to the respondents. The secondary sources comprised information from books, journals, government publications and electronic sources. The population of the study consisted of the total number of both tutorial and non-tutorial staff of selected institutions, which was 14,458. Our sample consisted of 750 tutorial and non-tutorial staff of the institutions. Our sampling technique was the probability sampling technique. In order to cover the three selected sub-sectors of the education sector in the state, we used stratification.. The different sub-sectors of the educational system were accordingly covered, on the basis of 250 questionnaires per sub-sector. The chi-square test was used for data analysis in the study. The analyses of data, using chi-square tests have led to the findings that: (i) the provisions for human capital development have been poorly implemented in the Education Sector of Ebonyi State since 2001 (ii) that paucity of funds has been a major challenge of human capital development, in the education sector of the state (iii) that politicization of human capital development has been affecting employees’ training in the education sector of Ebonyi State (iv) that lack of political will has been affecting the implementation of human capital development programmes in the education sector of Ebonyi State (v) that lack of trained personnel in the area of information and communication technology, has negatively affected performance in the Education Sector of Ebonyi State (vi) that the education sector in Ebonyi State has not meaningfully organized sensitization programmes on human capital development within the period under study, 2001-2011 and (vii) that in the education sector of Ebonyi State, internet connectivity is a plausible measure for overcoming the problems of human capital development. To address these issues, the following recommendations have been made: (i) the establishment of a standing committee on Human Capital Development, in the Ministry of Education of Ebonyi State (ii) the use of the mass media to create awareness on human capital development in the state (iii)a statutory declaration that the Ebonyi State University is the Human Capital Development centre of the state and the central location for human capital training for staff of the education sector and others (iv) the establishment of an endowment fund for human capital development in the education sector of the state (v) the engagement of the services of an internet service consultant, for the education sector of the state (vi) and (vii) the introduction of short-term in-service training, for ICT personnel, in the education sector of the state.