Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has said that the federal government is going to place premium on the welfare of the 14.8 million older persons in the country just as it promises to reserve 10 percent slots for older persons in its intervention schemes.
She said this at an event to mark the International and National Day of Older Persons, 2023, with the theme: “Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons Across Generations.”
The event was organised by the Ministry of National Senior Citizens’ Centre and the United Nations.
Edu described Nigeria’s older citizens as the federal government’s priority which must be protected, and added that the rights of senior citizens in the areas of job security, health, livelihood, agriculture and other development planning must be considered.
“Presently, older persons are said to be about 14.8 million out of the entire population. All the citizens at all levels must be protected.
“And that is why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has rightly directed that in all our social welfare interface, which is the social safety net, we must ensure the protection of all Nigerians, including the older citizens and prevent them from slipping below the poverty line.
“The President also directed that those who are under the poverty line must be assisted to get out of it and must be captured in the social interventions programmes.”
She said she would launch two social intervention programmes this year with emphasis on senior citizens.
“We will be providing for senior citizens, who are affected by the humanitarian crisis. We will be working with the Centre on this. I am very proud of what the Center is doing in terms of creating a model home, where all the senior citizens can feel dignified”, Edu said.
On the part of the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, said the occasion offered everyone an opportunity to reflect on the impact of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the protection of the rights of older persons and commended Nigeria for establishing the National Senior Citizens Centre, NSCC, saying it was a step in the right direction.
He lamented that despite the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights, older persons continue to face obstacles in the enjoyment and exercise of their human rights.
“Aging is a complex and multifaceted reality that will touch all of us if we are lucky. It is my sincere hope that today’s dialogue will allow for reflections on effective promotion and protection of older persons in Nigeria, focusing on their contributions throughout their life, for the knowledge and expertise they can pass on to younger generations,” Schmale said.