10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Human capital development is fundamental to sustainable national development because it equips individuals with competencies required for economic competitiveness. In Nigeria, increasing national insecurity and persistent challenges in quality of science education have continued to threaten students' educational experiences needed for national transformation. This study examined the influence of national insecurity and quality science education on human capital development among senior school students in Ifelodun, local Government Area, Kwara State. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population comprised 200 public senior secondary school students randomly selected. Data were collected using a validated structured questionnaire. Reliability was established using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to answer the research questions, and multiple regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that students perceived the level of national insecurity as high (M = 3.68, SD = 0.74), while the quality of science education was rated moderately high (M = 3.42, SD = 0.69). Human capital development recorded a mean score of 3.55 (SD = 0.66). Multiple regression analysis revealed that national insecurity had a significant negative influence on human capital development (β = −0.36, t = −7.84, p < .001), whereas quality science education exerted a significant positive influence (β = 0.58, t = 11.63, p < .001). Collectively, the predictor variables accounted for 52.4% of the variance in human capital development (R² = .524, F(2, 417) = 229.41, p < .001).The study concluded that addressing national insecurity while strengthening the quality of science education is essential for developing competent and innovative human capital capable of driving sustainable national development. It recommended increased investment in school security, science education infrastructure, teacher capacity development, and learner-centred instructional practices to enhance students' preparedness for future socioeconomic contributions.