MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF THE STAFF OF ABAKALIKI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA COUNCIL.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Organization is established to provide for the needs, yearnings, interest and desire of the employees within the work place or environment, to earn loyalty, dedication, involvement and commitment necessary to compete favorably and effectively to maintain and retain its innumerable staff and patronizers. Therefore, for any organization or institution such as the local government, some factors have to come into play through their availability and reliability. The factors in this context include manpower development and utilization, which would be extensively discussed in this study.

It will not be out of context to say that manpower is the strong pillar of private or public organization, just like Harbison (1973) aptly observed;

Human resources, not capital, income or material resources, constitute the ultimate basis for the wealth of nations. Capital and natural resources are passive factors of production. Human beings are the agent who accumulate capital, exploit natural resources, build social, economic and political organization and carry out national development. The above score made it clear that as the world even turns to a global village, one cannot but attribute its possibility to the dexterity and intuitive nature of human thinking and ability. Another conviction of human ability and input in the work is the computer. What is computer if not the human brain since computer is ‘garbage in garbage out’. It becomes imperative to realize that one cannot do without manpower in an organization. In fact, the evolution of manpower in Nigeria can be traced back to the era of industrial revolution when the slave trade was abolished in favour of buying and selling of goods and services, establishment of industries and schools. It is at this period that the importance of development and utilization of human skills is felt in an organization. This view was supported by Adesua (1988), Fafunwa (1974) and Yesufu (2000) who opted that investment on human resources in Nigeria started in 1843, when different missionaries from European countries started with funding of schools introduced by them.

MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF THE STAFF OF ABAKALIKI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA COUNCIL.