the study focuses on the analysis of the significance of human capital development in the personnel management practices in nigeria. it identifies changes in technology, increasing personnel demands, social complexity as factors necessitating human capital development in nigeria. it further observed that human capital development could instigate skill development career development and economic growth and over all development in nigeria, if adequate plans and strategies are adapted to critically pursue the human development agenda. the study used the descriptive and deductive method of data analysis. using the behavioural theory as a framework of analysis, the study discovered the factors that hinder the human capital development in the personnel management practices. the work concludes that paucity of funds, corruption, inequality in the economic sector the nigeria factor among others is the negatively which hinders the human capital development in the country. the study recommends the entrenchment of elements of world best practice to do away with these challenges in human capital development in nigeria in order to liberalize the process of skills acquisition. keywords: social complexity, development, growth, skill, career