Federal Govt To Facilitate Domestication Of Senior Citizens’ Centre Act

Federal government has promised to secure adequate support and persuade state governments to domesticate the National Senior Citizens’ Centre Act, the VAPP Act, Persons with Disability Act, National Health Authority Act among others.

 The move is to ensure synergy with state governments and proper alignment of programmes for older persons, the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Dr Beta Edu, has said.

 In an address to commemorate the International Day of Older Persons at the United Nations House in Abuja yesterday, the minister said older persons’ rights to equity, inclusion, independence, participation, access care and support, access to justice, non-discrimination, freedom from abuse, neglect and violence are incontrovertible and non-negotiable.

She said the National Senior Citizens Centre remained the veritable agency to consolidate opportunities for the older population, in partnership with the various Ministries, Department and Agencies through multi-sectoral coordination and the repositioning of her ministry was a clear demonstration of government’s political goodwill and commitment to develop mechanisms and sustainable systems to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of Nigerians by progressively lifting 133 million Nigerians out of poverty.

She said the creation of the National Senior Citizens Centre as an initiating, coordinating, collaborating and advocacy agency by the NSCC Act 2017 ensures the mainstreaming of older persons in the processes, procedures, mechanisms of implementation for delivering positive outcomes for older persons.

 Edu assured that with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration and its pillar on social investments, equity, fairness and solidarity across generations, the administration would focus on harnessing the potential of population ageing, combat ageism and negative stereotypes and close the gaps and inconsistencies in data.

“It would focus on research and human capital development and continue to create systems capable of supporting older persons, including age-friendly environments, universal health coverage and building long term care systems.  

These programs    are presently ongoing, having received a boost with the National policy on Ageing, National Strategic Plan on Ageing 2022-2032, legislations and plan of action on ageing and project activities 2021-2025 developed by the National Senior Citizens Centre and multi-sector stakeholders and older persons themselves.

“My office received the draft memo on the ratification of the AU Protocol on the Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the Rights of Older Persons from the National Senior Citizens Centre as soon as we settled, and is working expediently to see Nigeria’s ratification,’ she said.

The director general, National Senior Citizens Centre, Dr. Emem Omokaro, said the centre had received several mentions in her report which highlighted the positive and encouraging efforts of Nigeria in many aspects, including the gaps.