THE RELEVANCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENTAND EMPLOYMENT
TO POVERTY ALLEVIATION
As countries yearn for rapid economic development, great emphasis is put on
developing the available human resources. It is imperative to note at the
onset that the character and pace of the economic and social development of
a nation is always more assuredly determined by its human resources. As a
matter of fact human resource development serves as an engine for a vibrant
socio-economic development of a country as manifested in a statement once
made by Professor Erediitch Honbison of Princeton University. He said that
human resource constitute the ultimate basis for wealth of nations; capital
and natural resources are passive factors of production, human beings are
the active agents who accumulate capital, exploit natural resources; build
schools economic and political organisation and carry forward national
development. Clearly, a country which is unable to develop the skills and
knowledge of its people and to utilise them efficiently in building its
national economy will be unable to develop anything else.
Japan, the pyre of modern science and technology is a model for emulation.
In the nineteen century during the time of Meigi Japan invested heavily
the surplus from the traditional sector for a technological transfer from
the West. The government of Meigi committed itself to universal education
for all. Japanese youths were sent to the West to acquire skills in all
dimensions and were trained in a variety of areas. The skills and training
acquired juxtaposed with the Confusionist ideology of total dedication to
the state helped a great deal in matching the acquired Western technological
know-how with the existing structures in place.. Consequently, the skills
and knowledge acquired from the West was used to develop both the
agricultural and industrial sectors. However, increased agricultural and
industrial production paved the way for advancement in all sectors.
The Economies of many less developed countries suffered set backs during the
post - colonial era - set-backs that were characterised by the pre-eminence
of undeveloped available human resources. To get out of this undesirable
situation, governments of LDCs realised that the principal institutional
mechanism for developing human skills and knowledge is the formal education
system, which they endeavoured to harness.
Research has established that the rapid quantitative expansion of
educational opportunities that guarantee the attainment of the required
knowledge and skills holds the basic key to national development. The more
education, skills and training achievable the better productive the people
become and the more rapid the development of a nation.
However, the role of formal education is not limited to imparting the
knowledge and skills that enables individuals to function as economic change
agents in their societies, formal education also imparts values, ideas and
attitudes.
On the contrary, chronic absolute poverty, high level of dependency and
pervasive economic disparities between rich and poor is evident in LDCs.
Unemployment and under employment have reached staggering proportions with
the "educated" increasingly swelling the ranks of those without jobs.
Figures from the 1993 population census in the Gambia indicated that
illiteracy is still a problem with 62% and 25% for male and females of 20
years and above respectively. This shows that a large chunk of the
population which is considered active is still a victim of the illness of
illiteracy. As also shown by the same study 70.2% of the populations are
unskilled with female comprising about 50% of the population dominating the
private/formal sector accounting for 62%. This occupational grouping also
has the lowest average monthly salary at D312, which is 54% less than the
total average. In addition to this, women who head most families in the
Gambia and on whom a large portion of the population depend, account for 57%
of the workforce in the agriculture sector they are under-represented in
other key sectors.
However to improve the quality of life for all, the International Conference
on Population and Development and ICPD+5 held in Cairo and Beijing
respectively put much emphasis on the well being of women and children.
Specific among these are;
- The formulation and adoption of appropriate policies and programmes aimed
at striking a balance between the population growth and economic growth
which will further gear towards achieving poverty eradication.
- Increasing efforts in developing the available human resource
- guarantee rights for women and children
- Increase information, education and communication efforts on population
and development issues
- integration of population issues into development initiative of the
government
As women are generally the poorest of the poor and at the same time key
actors in the development process, their education, training and skills
development will go a long way in eradicating poverty and promoting
sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development. In
brief, a well educated, trained and skilled population serves as a base for
investment and job creation. In effect, earning levels, will increase if
backed by a suitable microeconomic environment which will enable the
population to improve upon its quality of life.
The involvement of the government and private sector is therefore needed to
ensure proper planning at both micro and macro levels around resource
mobilisation and allocation for investment in capacity building. In this
regard, the performance of the Gambia Government in this area to say the
least is satisfactory but one may hasten to add that it is about time our
educational curriculum is reviewed and training plans re-assessed to give
priority to qualifications in technical and professional fields where
qualified personnel are lacking. The government should also try to strike a
balance between the needs of the labour market and the skills and training
acquired This will ensure the gradual adoption of a skills based HRD policy
at the national level.
Consequently, developing the human resource of a nation and the creation of
job opportunities will as a result increase production in all sectors and
finally translate into self-sufficiency and improved quality of life for
all.
This is also achievable if there is an equitable distribution of scarce
resources among sectors. We say this because sectral differences in terms
of allocation of resources if not checked can cause a lot of havoc to the
economy of the country. However the government should also look into the
imbalances between regions and sectors in terms of facilities, prices and
wages among others. Inequitable distribution of resources among sectors and
regions as was prevailing previously, of late, has resulted to the current
imbalance of human inhabitation among regions; mass influx of work force
from the traditional sector to the modern sector, wide spread income
disparities, violent urbanisation, idleness among the employable population
and the unbearable pressure on the existing infrastructural facilities among
others. However, this situation is further aggravated by the lack of
correlation between a change in price of consumable commodities and a change
in wages. Further to this is the unpleasant wage difference between public
and private sectors. This if let to triumph will further worsen the existing
income disparities and as a result poverty condition will also be
aggravated.
Therefore, every Gambia should pose to emulate the amoeba in knowing the
implications of a large population and family sizes. As a matter of fact,
the problems mentioned are to some extend due to the high population growth
rate Gambia is presently facing. It is important to note that, no Government
effort will hold water if a proper planning is not made on its population.
Most often than not government's development plans are always in disarray
when there is too little resources for too many people. We can learn lessons
from India, a nation with an unmatched endowment of wealth and human
population. This as a result contributed to the government's lopsided and
undeceive development agenda. Despite all efforts made the government of
India poverty and mass unemployment is at its peak. Indeed, no body should
tell us as to how large and uncontrollable population size retards the
development process of a country. Gambia was not facing the problem of high
dependency, incidence of abject poverty, mass unemployment, etc etc when its
population was small. Gambia ranks one of the countries having a high
population growth rate. Because of the high dependency ratio and the
tendency to move to the urban centres Gambia is going away from the
extended or joint family system to a virtual nuclei families where it is not
the extended relation that matters but one's sons and daughters. Social
projections are that it will be a matter of FANG KUNG FANG KUNG in the long
when there is very little for very many people. The truth is that
governments are really doing their utmost to strike a balance the economic
growth and population growth, it is our own behaviour and attitudes toward a
positive change which are to blame. This should be a course of concern
and a food for thought for every Gambian.
Therefore, Religious leaders, opinion leaders and policy makers who hold the
rein of change in society should endeavour to change the negative views on
the use of modern contraceptive and family planning. Well, experience has
shown that the campaign for the use of modern contraceptives has gathered a
lot of cloud over the population program initiatives. The notion that Gambia
is an Islamic country is even an antidote for our population problems.
Therefore, the campaign for the use of modern contraceptives will be not be
necessary if we should adhere to the principles of Islam.
The government of the Gambia in its move to solve the problem of abject
poverty adopted variable policies and programs which if worshiped will go a
long way in serving as the panacea for the upliftment of the lot of
Gambians. In this vein, government, NGOS and private sector commitments are
the fuel for a success in any socio-economic development of a country.
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