Nigeria's Low Human Development Index: Challenges And Opportunities

 Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa. She has aboutl 230 million citizens. She is ranked 158th out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI), a composite measure of life expectancy, education, and income. The HDI is a widely used indicator of a country's overall well-being and development. The HDI is a summary measure of human development, focusing on three key dimensions: life expectancy at birth, expected years of schooling, and Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. These dimensions vividly capture the basic capabilities of leading a long and healthy life, acquiring knowledge, and having a decent standard of living.

Nigeria's low HDI ranking is attributed to several factors, including poor life expectancy, limited access to education, and low income levels. Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria is 54. 7 years, lower than the regional average of 62. 2 years (UNDP, 2020). For example:

• Cape Verde has an average life span of 73 years,

• Ghana has an average life span of 64. 1 years,

• Senegal has an average life span of 67.9 years,

• Guinea Bissau has an average life span of   64. 08 years,

• Mali has an average life span of 60. 44 years,

• Benin Republic has an average life span of 60. 77 years,

• Burkina Faso has an average life span of 61. 09 years,

• Sierra Leone has an average life span of 61. 79 years, and

• Cite d'Ivoire has an average life span of 61. 94 years respectively (UNDP, 2022). Nigeria's own average life span is 54. 7 years only. It means that citizens of the above countries, and many others, have better standard of living than Nigeria, and as such, live longer than us. It implies that if a child is born in one of those countries and another one is born on the same day in Nigeria, the one born in Nigeria will most likely die earlier than the other. This is largely due to high infant and maternal mortality rates, as well as prevalence of infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV/ AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Nigeria's healthcare delivery system is anaemic and weak, and many lack access to quality healthcare delivery services. 

Nigeria also has a low expected years of schooling of 9. 7 years, reflecting the country's poor education system and dismal literacy rates. Many children, especially in rural areas, lack access to quality education, leading to a significant education gap. The government's education budget is always inadequate, and many schools lack basic infrastructure and resources. The proliferation of private school system in Nigeria's primary, secondary, universities and tertiary institutions has further exacerbated the standard of education in Nigeria. Monetary acquisition is the major interest and goal of most private school proprietors and proprietreses in Nigeria. In order to maximize profits, they employ low quality and untrained teachers and workers. They teach the children in very poor classroom conditions. They have no technology-appropriate materials to teach the pupils and students in their schools to make them employable and marketable in the labour market, after leaving school. Their school fees and levies are very high. Most times, they compromise the academic performance of their pupils and students. A pupil or student in a private school setting can be scoring high marks. His/ her report card might read, "Excellent performance. Keep it up.", whereas in the public schools, the same pupil or student will be finding it difficult to score up to 70% in his/ her best subject. The private school owners know that parents pay princely amounts of money as school fees, including other fees. So, they usually give the pupils or students high marks to make them feel that they are performing well, and at the same time encouraging their parents to leave their children with them. Financial gain was not in the mind of Dr. Maria Montessori when she founded the first Monstessori school in Rome, Italy, in 1907. Her school system served as a model for subsequent Montessori schools worldwide. Montessori system of education emphasizes self-directed learning, hands-on activities, and collaborative plays. The cost of schooling in Nigeria (primary, secondary, and universities) are very high. School authorities (whether private or public) always look for one avenue or the other to extort money from children. In many parts of Nigeria, new entrants into secondary schools are asked to pay taxes of ten thousand naira #10, 000 before admission into secondary schools. Is that fair? 

Nigeria's GNI per capita before was $2, 830, which is lower than the regional   average of $3, 540 (World Bank, 2020). Presently, Nigeria's GNI per capita is $1, 250. Cape Verde has a GNI per capita of around $4, 650. Ghana has a GNI per capita of about $2, 320, making it one of the most prosperous countries in West Africa. Senegal has a GNI per capita of about $1, 680, slightly higher than Nigeria. Cote d'Ivoire has a GNI per capita of about $2, 000. It has a higher GNI per capita than Nigeria too. Mauritania has a GNI per capita of approximately $2, 090, making it one of the countries with a higher GNI per capita in the region.

Nigeria's economy is heavily dependent on oil exports, making her vulnerable to series of fluctuations in the global oil prices, resulting from oil glut (excess oil supply in the market). The dearth of well-planned economic diversification has limited the country's ability to create jobs and reduce poverty and privations. The politicization of the national mining sectors has undermined the country's economic wheels and progress. For example, Nigeria has enormous deposits of iron ores which have not been harnessed over the years. The presence iron ores and other in-ground mineral resources at Okene, Itakpe, and Abuja belts can enable Nigeria generate wealth as much as oil. But, unfortunately, our unidirectional and myopic economic policy that depends on oil would not allow us see beyond the nose. After investing heavily on the solid mineral sector by the visionary President Babangida's military regime, successive Nigerian governments abandoned it. Everything is in decay as we speak. Ajaokuta Rolling Mill, one of the largest facilities in human history, is a derelict structure today. Nigeria has bluntly refused to make use of Ajaokuta Rolling Mill to generate revenues. Nigeria also refused to export the iron ores processed by the National Iron Ores Mining Company (NIOMCO), Itakpe. The country depends solely on oil export without any diversification agenda in sight for decades. 

Liberia and Brazil are exporters of iron ores. Iron ores form the benchmarks of their economies. While Liberia's and Brazil's iron ore qualities are between 63-66% purity respectively, Nigeria has iron ores of about 73% purity, making it very cheap and easy to refine like our Bonny Light Crude Oil which is very easy to refine. Yet, the Federal Government of Nigeria does not sell the iron ores. The United Kingdom has bribed our elites to kill and bury Nigeria's iron ore mining sector, chiefly Ajaokuta Rolling Mill, in preference of her own version of rolling mill called Corus, to avoid market competition. Corus steel plant located at 30, Milbank Street, London, generated $9.9 billion in 2025. How much did Ajaokuta Rolling Mill, combined with Aladja Rolling Mill, generate within the same period? Nothing! Corus has approximately 50, 000 well-paid employees. How many workers are in Nigeria's solid minerals mining sector? The worst thing is that Government pays everybody in Nigeria with oil money. Is that fair? Why should a worker in Sector A be paid with money generated from Sector S? Does this conform with laws of Economics? I personally brought an iron ore buyer from Los Angeles to NIOMCO, Itakpe. After wasting time and resources, the then managing director told us that he does want to sell the iron ores. There were warehouses containing high heaps of iron ores concentrates outgrown with weeds, without anybody to export it. That is how bad Nigeria has become!

The implications of Nigeria's low HDI are significant. A low HDI ranking is an offshoot of poverty, inequality, poor health outcomes, and limited economic opportunities. Nigeria has been infested with a permanent poverty "virus", with over 40% of the population living below poverty line (World Bank, 2020). The country's poor health outcomes are reflected in the high rates of infant and maternal mortality, as well as a high burden of infectious diseases. To improve Nigeria's HDI, the government and development partners can implement several strategies. Investing in education is critical, especially in rural areas, to improve literacy rates and expected years of schooling. Strengthening healthcare delivery systems is also essential to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates and combat infectious diseases head-on. Diversifying the economy is crucial to increasing GHI per capita and reduce poverty. The government should prioritize human development and implement policies that promote the well-being of citizens. This includes increasing budget allocations to education and training, promoting economic diversification, and strengthening institutions and governance structures. With the right policies and investments, Nigeria can improve her HDI and promote sustainable development.

In conclusion, Nigeria's low HDI ranking is a pressing concern that requires urgent attention from policymakers and development partners. By investing in education, healthcare delivery systems, and economic diversification, Nigeria can improve her HDI and promote sustainable development. The government should prioritize human development and implement policies that promote the well-being of her citizens.

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