Nigeria, June 29 -- Nigeria's development challenges are often discussed through the lens of economic growth, infrastructure, public finance, insecurity or unemployment. Each of these issues is important, yet beneath them lies a more fundamental question: whether we are investing sufficiently in the people who must sustain the nation, drive its economy and shape its future.

For many years, it has become customary to say that Nigeria's greatest asset is its people. The statement is repeated so often that it risks becoming a cliche. Yet it remains profoundly true.

With a population exceeding 220 million and projected to grow substantially over the coming decades, Nigeria possesses one of the largest and youngest populations in the world. ...