1. The document discusses a course submitted to the World Bank on preparing labor forces in developing countries for technological disruptions. 2. It highlights the need to consider social protection policies and financing mechanisms to manage risks to labor markets from a changing world of work. 3. The author reflects on lessons learned about the benefits of human capital development and questions why initiatives in their home country of Nigeria have not yielded the same results as in other countries that implemented similar programs.

1. FINAL PROJECT SUBMITTED TO:
THE WORLD BANK GROUP OPEN LEARNING CAMPUS
BY
GODWIN NICHOLAS IGOCHE
COURSE TITTLE: THE FUTURE OF WORK: PREPARING FOR DISRUPTION

2. In the heartof thiscourse are effortsgearedtowardshumancapital developmentacrossdeveloping
countriesof the worldandin particularthe sub-saharanAfricancountries withstrategicquestionssuch
as;
1. What are the specificriskstolabour marketsandpolicyconstraintsthatsub-saharanAfrican
economiesface inchangingworldof work?
2. What social protectionpoliciesshouldAfricangovernmentconsiderinpreparingforthe future
of work,andhow can theybe financed?
The World Bankgroup effortsare all focusedonhow Africancountriesaswell asotherdeveloping
countriesgovernmentshouldmanage the risksassociatedwiththeircountry’slabourmarkets.
The course iscenteredonhowto prepare the labourforce indevelopingcountriestowardsthe evolving
technological innovationsinthe worldof work,advocatingforasystemof social protectionandlabour
system,policiesandinstrumentsthathelpsindividualsfrompovertyanddestitution.
Amongthe various interestingthingsIhave learnedfromthiscourse are the benefitsof HumanCapital
developmenttothe individual,the community,the countryandthe worldatlarge.
Some of the importantquotesfromchapter3 (three) of the WorldDevelopmentReport(WDR) 2019
are as below:
The benefitsof humancapital transcendprivate returns,extendingtoothersandacross generations;
Human capital fosterssocial capital;
Social capital inturn isassociatedwithhighereconomicgrowth;
Individual returntohumancapital addsupto large benefitsforeconomies- countriesbecome richeras
more humancapital accumulates;
Human capital complementsphysical capital inthe productionprocessandisanimportantinputto
technological innovationandlongrungrowth;
Overthe longterm,humancapital mattersfor societies;
In the mid1970s, Nigeriaintroduceduniversal primaryeducation,sendingalarge cohort of children
throughprimaryschool whootherwise wouldnothave gone.Yearslater,the membersof thatcohort
were foundtobe more engagedinpolitical life.
The last quote aboutNigeria,myveryowncountry’seffortathumancapital developmentinthe 70s
bringsso manyquestionstomymindwhenthe humancapital situationinNigeriaaswe have it todayis
viewedincomparisonwiththe benefitsof the effortsmade inthe past,whatwentwrong?Where did
we messit?Why do we fail tohave the same resultasothercountrieswiththe same kindof initiative?
A critical lookat the humancapital situationinNigeriaasa Nigerianwhohasbeenthroughpovertyand
deprivationof all kinds,Ishouldbe able toidentifysome few answerstothe above questions,

3. In answeringthese questions,Iwill attempttoexplainthe currentsituationof humancapital inNigeria
as it relatestothe roots of each problem.
The human capital inNigeriaisnolongerinshortsupplybutthat of surplusasa resultof manyfactors
mostof whichbothersoninstitutionalinefficienciessuchas:
 Outdatedlabourlawor legislation
 Elite conspiracy
 Corruptionandlack of government commitment
 Abusive andnegative humanresource practice
The labourlaw as practice inNigeriawaspromulgatedasfarback as the 1970s withoutanyconcrete
reviewuptill date,asa resultcompaniesandindividualdevice anylabourpractice of theirchoice
exploitingall the inadequaciesinthe outdatedlaw,the labourministeronlystaysinthe office to
negotiate withlabourunionleaderswhooftenagitate inordertobe boughtover at the expense of the
masses.
Elite conspiracyisa situationthatunfortunatelyemanatedfromthe lastquote aboutthe outcome of
the country’seffortat developinghumancapital,the large cohortof childrenthatwere privilegedto
have earlyexposure inpoliticshave constitutedthemselvesintoacabal dominatingineverysphere of
the societyavailingthemselvesandfamiliesof everyavailable opportunitywithoutprovidingalevel
playingground forcompetition forinstance,scholarshipfromgovernmentinstitutionsandinternational
organizationsthatmeanttosupportthe strugglingmasseslike myself will nevergettousas the elite
alwayshave wayto projecttheirfamiliestobe beneficiariesof suchopportunitiesatthe expense of
those itwas meantto help.
The nature of the conspiracyhere inNigeriawasthe type refertoby the formerpresidentof the world
bankJim YoungKiminone of hislectures,”The Adhaar program in India and it was built by Nandan
Nilekani, they've moved 28 billion dollars directly to the poor, because all you need to do is, your twelve digit
number you put your thumb on the machine, it confirms that you were the person linked to that twelve digit
number and you get cash directly. And they saved over 8 billion dollars in money that was going into the
hands of the middle men and women who were taking a little bit for themselves.”
The conspiratorsare the middle menandwomeninplacesof authoritywhohelpthemselvesandtheir
familiesatthe expense of those deservingthe help.
Corruptionandlack of commitmentonthe part of government,Nigeriaisaplace where you have old
personsalteringtheirage inordertoavoidretirementfromoffice,Nigeriaisplace where youhave ghost
workersearningsalarywhile the leavingare jobless,Nigeriaisaplace where people reserve jobsfor
theirchildrentill theirgraduationIcango on and on…
Lastly,abusive andnegative humanresource practicesinthe formof experience requirementsforjob
application,Age limit,genderdiscriminationandnumberof creditobtainatsecondarylevelof
education,forinstance, the requirementtopossess5o’level creditirrespective of the numberdegrees

4. youhave among othernegative anddisgustingspecificationsthatmakesithardfor people to
reasonable returnonhumancapital investment.