ADULT EDUCATIONAND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FORADAPTABILITY IN POST-COVID-19 ERA

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed several inadequacies among Nigerian adults which include poor digital skills and survival techniques for adaptability in crisis. It was observed in the outbreak of the pandemic that most Nigerians lacked digital skills required for survival during the lockdowns plus poor survival and coping techniques. Nigeria has gone digital thus, the Nigerian adult must be well-rounded and fully educated for their role in developing the nation and should therefore acquire digital skills as well as survival techniques for adaptability. Adult education focuses on continuous education and promotes human development and has become imperative to help promote digital skills and survival technique among adults for adaptability in the event of a crisis. This paper discusses relevant concepts: adult education, human capital, adaptability, related literature in education, and digital literacy. The introduction was a brief overview of previous Nigerian development plans which clearly excluded plans to improve the human development index of Nigerians; a major indicator for growth and development. The first subheading established the connection between education and human capital and that through education, the human capital development index of Nigeria can increase which will further result in growth and development. In the second subheading, it was emphasized that the digital capacities of Nigerians have to improve and adaptability which is a soft skill is required to help Nigerians cope in the event of subsequent crisis while the third subheading described how adult education can help promote the human capital of Nigerians. The conclusion was a brief summary of the paper which clearly noted digital literacy as a life skill thus, emphasizing the need to boost the digital competencies of Nigerians. Solutions were also proffered on the way forward.