From Sani Gazas Chinade, Damaturu
A five-day capacity-building workshop on Human Capital Development and Demographic Dividend (HCD–DD), supported by the Lafiya UK Project, has been held in Damaturu.
The workshop, chaired by the State Deputy Governor, brought together representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), development partners, and data institutions to strengthen the use of demographic data in advancing the state’s HCD–DD agenda.
During the sessions, participants identified several challenges hindering effective demographic data management and utilisation in the state. These include low technical capacity among data managers across many MDAs, discrepancies and inconsistencies in data generated from multiple sources, and projected population figures that do not reflect current realities, leading to inaccuracies in data generation.
At the end of the deliberations, participants resolved to seek the Deputy Governor’s support for the establishment of an effective Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team composed of competent and qualified members. They also agreed that all data to be generated and presented must be updated, realistic, and aligned with achievable targets adapted from the national framework, among other measures.
Participants further reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration between state and national data institutions, enhancing institutional capacity, and embedding data-driven approaches within the HCD–DD framework to accelerate progress toward achieving the demographic dividend.