Dr Emem Omokaro, Director-General, National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) says the centre has disbursed N18 million to some senior citizens across 18 states.
Omokaro, said this in Abuja on Tuesday, said each of the 36 beneficiaries received N500, 000, which was disbursed through the National Directorate of Employment’s (NDE) matured people loan scheme.
She spoke at the train-the-trainer workshop on the use of survey instrument, organised by the NSCC in collaboration with NDE, adding that the workshop was aimed at to accelerating financial inclusion of older persons in all investment programmes.
Omokaro further explained that the training and loan disbursement were part of the NDE’s entrepreneurship programmes, which the centre keyed into.
“NSCC has, through this partnership, successfully mainstreamed older persons into the NDE matured peoples programme.
“I am happy to report that 36 older persons from 18 states across the six geo political zones are beneficiaries of the matured peoples loan facility to the tune of N500,000 each.
“Today’s train the trainer workshop held in partnership with NDE, is a step in the delivery of one of the NSCC’s livelihood initiatives with capacity enhanced opportunity for older persons to continue to supplement incomes,’’ Omokaro said.
She said that the population of older persons comprised active business owners contributing to family and community and creating substance and wealth.
“There are also those with functional decline, needing supportive and enabling environment to continue to be independent.
“And there are very poor vulnerable living with impairment and in need of quality long term care,” Omolaro said.
She said that the diverse challenges and demands, called for multi-sectoral partnership, coordinated planning, implementations, monitoring and evaluation.
“The NSCC is embarking on conducting a nationwide mapping of livelihood interests and prevalent indigestion crafts.
“Needs assessment would be towards enhancing skills and capacities and development of intergenerational small and medium enterprises,” the director general added.
She said that the NSCC, collaboration with partners would facilitate and support the development of cooperatives, by funding the registration and providing vocational training and integration into mature people’s programmes.
“NSCC is determined to enhance their visibility and to sensitise and mobilise policy makers, planners and implementers of development programmes,” Omokaro said.
Mallam Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, Director-General of NDE said care for the elderly must be made a priority as it was a blessing.
“We need to care for not just older persons but retirees who need to be taken care of.
“The matured people’s programmes for retirees is to reduce the challenges faced by older persons,” Nuhu-Fikpo said.
He said that older persons and retirees could still contribute positively to the society.
“Being retirees and older persons doesn’t make them useless, they can be followed after retirement to gain more knowledge and get experiences from them,” the Director-General stressed.
He said that the NDE would strengthen collaboration with the NSCC to meet the needs of older persons.
Alhaji Musa Bungudu, Special Adviser to the President on Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development commended the NSCC and the NDE for their concern to the elderly.
“I commend the collaboration of the board of NSCC and its management, please let’s continue to work together, let nothing cause distraction between us,” he added.
Bungudu commended the media for its support to the cause of the elderly and urged them not to relent.
“The media needs to continue, we need you to do whatever you can to make the agency move forward”, he said.