Human Capital Development and Utilization in Public Corporations (A Case Study of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (Phcn), Ugbowo Business District, Benin City)

ABSTRACT Following the establishment of the Electricity industry in Nigeria which dated back to the 1920s, the country has not recorded reliable and adequate services over the years. More worrisome is the fact that successive Governments in Nigeria devote substantial funds to the improvement of the sector to no avail. We often hear that the officials are corrupt, they are incompetent, and lack requisite training to grapple with the situation. It has also been confirmed from valid research findings that no nation in the world can carry out any of its development programmes without adequate and competent manpower. In the light of this, the objectives of this research is to look into the human capital development schemes being utilized in PHCN with bias to Ugbowo Business District being the study area. This is because without the training and development of employees the organization will experience paralysis, atrophy and loss of memory. In the verification process, the survey method, primary and secondary methods of data collection were adopted, using predominantly, the personnel process theory of Wandel French in which personnel function was viewed in terms of operational process and a facilitating system within the organization. In the end the findings showed that the bad ethics of human capital development and utilization far outweighed the good ones in PHCN, Ugbowo Business District. It has among others no established human capital development and utilization plan. In conclusion, the work noted that human problems have made the District ill positioned to make the necessary impact on its workforce, which will in turn bring about positive changes in its services. It was recommended, among others that the organization should establish a training scheme that will impact on its human capital for proper utilization and development.