Sir Auditor UviesherheA nation that must grow must learn how to harness the available natural resources and human resources within her territory.
Today, underdevelopment is one of the major problems that is ravishing the faces of many nations, especially in African.
African leaders find it hard to move their economy forward and advance the lives of their citizens.
In 2023, the United Nations listed 45 countries as underdeveloped, of which 33 are African countries.
These nations’ economic outlook effectively shows this underdevelopment.
A case study is Nigeria, a country blessed with so many natural resources, like good soil, oil, sea creatures, and all that. Also, with people of talents, potential, gifts, and skills.
Yet, still could make the list of underdeveloped nations.
If we don’t make the most of our resources, progress might not be possible.
While natural and human resources are not the basis for the development of a nation, they can enhance her growth.
And this is what we will discuss today.
How To Harness Natural Resources For National Development
What are natural resources?
Natural resources are those resources that exist freely in nature. Examples include crude oil, coal, gas and even wind, sun and more.
They are raw materials and substances that can enhance the development of a nation.
There are two types of natural resources. They are renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Renewable natural resources are those resources that can never be exhausted, regardless of how we use them. Examples are wind, sun, water, etc.
Nonrenewable natural resources are those resources that deplete with usage. Examples include fossil fuels like crude oil, coal, gas, etc
So, how do we harness our natural resources?
1. Creating Goods and Services:
The natural resources of a nation cannot benefit her if they remain raw except transformed into finished goods.
This involved going through the three stages of production: extraction, manufacturing, and distribution.
After production, the country can sell either by export or internally to generate revenues which directly grows the economy GDP.
2. Proper Management of Resources:
The government should plan and adopt policies that will help manage the resources of her nation.
Especially the nonrenewable resources that can deplete and go into extinction.
Also, they need to make sure that they effectively manage the revenue generated and use it for the advancement of the nation’s economic system, rather than personal gains.
3. Transformed into Sustainable Properties:
The government should transform natural resources like land and forests into sustainable properties for current and future generations.
Since land is a fixed asset that can appreciate with time, the government should transform it into properties like houses, industries, companies, etc., which can help generate capital revenue.
4. Underutilization Of Natural Resources Should Be Avoided:
The reason many nations are yet to develop is that they haven’t judiciously used the available natural resources.
In fact, some nations haven’t even explored an average percentage of what they have. This is not good at all.
As you have properly heard, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”.
Underutilization is one thing that can hinder the maximization of natural resources.
When we don’t fully use natural resources, they won’t be able to serve the needs of consumers. They become a waste.
5. Stop Exploitation:
Exploitation is the bane of some underdeveloped nations. Natural resources get scarce when we exploit them.
Therefore, the government must ensure that monitoring mechanisms that can help supervise and monitor the use of these natural resources.
6. Conservation Of Natural Resources:
Conservation has to do with keeping and preserving natural resources to prevent them from depleting or going to extinction.
It is no news again that many natural resources are already going into extinction in some nations because of poor conservation.
Take, for example, the forest. Many nations are already losing their forest resources because of deforestation.
When trees are cut down, wild animals, which can provide meat, leather, and other useful materials, run away.
The availability of timber is reduced. I call on the government to work on this.
How To Harness Human Resources For National Development
Human resources, also known as human capital, is as a set of people who make up the workforce of a nation.
We can also refer to it as the knowledge, skills, and other personal characteristics that make people useful and productive.
Human resources are a blessing for many nations. Unfortunately, they didn’t make the most of it. A nation needs to make the most of its people to grow.
Here are ways to harness the human resources of a nation.
1. Provision of Quality Education:
Education, they say is the best legacy as nothing kills faster than the lack of it.
A nation cannot grow beyond the minds of its citizens. If the citizens have dull mindsets, then the nation cannot progress.
However, when they possess brilliant minds, progress is certain.
So, it is only through education that we can polish the mind and enhances the brain’s ability to solve problems.
It gives the brain and mind the power to think critically and explore the world with creativity.
The growth and development of a nation are directly proportional to the quality of education available to its citizens.
Therefore, the government must invest in the educational sector of the economy.
They must provide a conducive environment where education thrives for people to become interested in learning.
The present state of education in Nigeria is not encouraging.
2. Creation of Skill Acquisition Program:
Skill acquisition is another way to harness the human resources of a nation for development.
Just as education is important, so also skill acquisition.
This is because learning new skills lets us actually use what we have learned.
Theoretical knowledge becomes practical here.
When programs allow human capital to learn skills that will make them more effective and productive in their nations, it helps to create a platform that fosters progress.
Therefore, the government should invest in programs that give people the opportunity to gain specific skills.
3. Organization of Talent Discovery Programs:
Talents are one of the things that can promote the growth and development of a nation.
Talents are innate abilities embodied in humans. We have to discover these abilities in order to develop them.
This strategy is well known among most of the developed nations, like the United States of America. They organize programs to help citizens uncover their talents.
4. Investment In Healthcare:
An adage says, “Health is wealth.”
If we have skilled and talented people who suffer from a lack of excellent health care service, the workforce of a nation will be affected.
The measure of a nation’s wealth is, to some extent, determined by the health of its citizens.
If the workforce of a nation is sick and not well cared for, it will affect the productivity and prosperity of the nation.
A nation will only prosper when there are agile and healthy men to partake in creating goods and services.
Therefore, the government should provide health amenities for its citizens. And put in place strategies that can help combat life-claiming diseases.
In addition, we should educate citizens on how to stay healthy and incorporate health education into the curriculum.
5. Embracing Creativity and Innovation:
Creativity and innovation are two things that can foster the growth of a nation.
When we embrace creativity and innovation, we will create solutions to problems that can threaten the development of our nations.
We will reinvent and create new opportunities.
So, as citizen, while the government may do all, we have to do this ourselves.
We must choose to be creative in our little space so we can have something to make our nation proud.
Conclusion
National development is not a herculean task nor something hard to achieve.
There are just principles, policies, and mechanisms that need to be adopted.
One of these principles is the principle of harnessing available natural and human resources.
To grow and develop, a nation needs to produce, take care of resources, and save nature.
Doing this, we unlock the best in us.
So, both underdeveloped and developing nations need to make the most of their resources, big or small.
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