Centre, HMI Launch Quality Care Assurance For Old Nigerians

The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), in collaboration with NBTE and Skills Nigeria Limited, has partnered with Healthcare Mission International (HMI) to launch a training programme for Quality Assurance Assessor certification in the Geriatric Social Care Skills Sector.

On Wednesday, the event held in Abuja witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NSCC and HMI, which aims to facilitate funding and support for NSCC’s health, socio-economic empowerment, and capacity enhancement initiatives.

Speaking at the launch, Dr Emem Omokaro, Director General of the National Senior Citizens Center (NSCC), said caring for older people is a skill that requires training.

“For anyone to have this skill, you need to be trained, and for you to be trained, you need training providers. So, as you have seen here, heads of Geriatrics, Consultant Geriatricians, Family Physicians and Nurses from our tertiary institutions may have all the knowledge. Still, they are not certified to assess skills. So, these trainees here are nominees of these tertiary institutions who will earn the certification. As Quality Assurance Assessors, you must be able to assess competency, attitude and all other technical things.”

Omokaro revealed that this is the first time in Nigeria‘s history that a senior social care sub-sector has been established. “This is also the first time we have a Council in place for senior social care, and these training providers are the first set to have members certified in Quality Assurance Assessment and their training centres accredited. So, all the building blocks are just being put in place, block by block,” she added.

Also, Engr SM Yusuf, Director, Vocational Technical and Skills Development, National Board for Technical Education, said in his address that skills are the global currency of labour, and to be a competent person, there must be competency-based assessment and certification.

“That is what NBTE is facilitating for the senior citizens. If you’re aware, the federal government approved the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework, which NSCC is implementing and is supervised by NBTE. The framework covers all facets of training, and Nigeria has joined the league of qualification framework, looking after competencies, not academic qualifications, for engagement.

Engr Yusuf emphasised that the training is meant for those who will manage the aged people. “The benchmark is that they must be occupationally competent. There are professors, senior consultants, and so on, so they can be competent in their occupation before they can come for this training to become assessors of that field.”

He further stated that the training is a global qualification that is required globally. “Now, in Nigeria, we are just starting; we do not have more than 5,000 assessors covering more than 18 sectors and councils we are managing, so we are grossly inadequate to manage the number that is being expected of us.”

The Executive Director of Healthcare Mission International (HMI), Mrs. Nike Osa, pledged her support programme during the MOU signing. She said, „We will support this initiative through funding, research, and any possibilities to direct funds towards this laudable project. We will stand with NSCC all through.“

On his part, Professor of Family Medicine, College of Medical Sciences, University Of Calabar, Doctor Ita Bassey Okokon, said he has been teaching care of the elderly since 2004. „I have been teaching undergraduate students of the University on Care of the Elderly. On the one hand, what is happening here is an attempt to push in gerontology. So, coming into gerontology, I believe having some tutelage on this platform will grant me the opportunity, privilege and platform to push issues around, even in my practice area. It will certainly enhance my practice.”

Okokon called for funding and support for NSCC‘s establishment in all states of the federation so that it could promote its ideas about caring for the elderly around the country.