By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
The UN and Nigeria have restated commitment to enhance the lives of older persons in the country.
Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, restated Nigeria’s commitment in a meeting with Dr Claudia Mahler, the UN’s Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of all Human Rights of Older Persons on Monday in Abuja.
Farouq said the ministry served as the nexus to bridge Nigeria’s comprehensive and multi-sectoral efforts to ensure inclusive social development, disaster mitigation and coordinated humanitarian responses in Nigeria.
She explained that the ministry was established with the mandate to provide leadership and coordinate all matters relating to humanitarian challenges, disaster management and social development in Nigeria.
Farouq added that the ministry oversees nine related agencies and departments.
The agencies include Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) and
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Others are National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), North East Development Commission (NEDC), National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) and the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC).
“However, under the purview of the Ministry, a number of policies have been developed to provide cardinal directions and framework for programme design, planning and implementation in the statutory areas.
“These include the National Policy on Ageing, Revised Social Protection Policy, Policy on Internally Displaced Persons, Policy on Persons with Disability, and Policy on Prohibition of Trafficking and Violence Against Persons, including older persons.
“The Ministry has also developed a comprehensive Strategic Roadmap for effective coordination.
“Also, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into Law the Act to establish NSCC in 2017, a focal body to reorient citizens’ negative perceptions and attitude about Ageing and older persons.
“Let me reiterate Nigeria’s commitment to support any process, including cross-regional Inter-Sessional meetings of like-minded member states to move forward the Convention on the Rights of older persons,” Farouq said.
She further said that the National Health Insurance Authority Bill, which has incorporated older persons amongst vulnerable groups for free healthcare without payment of premium, was recently signed into law.
Farouq also said that older persons were recipients of the grants for the vulnerable groups, with 15 per cent allocation reserved for them.
Speaking, Mahler said even though she heard a lot about Nigeria’s effort, but she was in the country to get an overview of activities concerning older persons.
“I am grateful to learn that there is a policy in place which tackled the issues and will be monitored. I am willing to hear more about concrete steps so as to know where to render support to Nigeria in this regard.
“We can also raise more awareness. A lot of things are already going on. I think older persons are not that visible than other age groups.
“All over the world, we are still at the awareness level that older persons are left behind. We need not only to support them but to give them space to be the advocate for themselves.
“I encourage you to tell me what is going on in your specific areas, including numbers as it would help me in my report.
“On human right issues, we need to ensure that barriers are overcome, for example age discrimination is a global issue concerning older persons,” Mahler said.
She further explained that it was good to support older persons to deal with their own lives in dignity and in development issues, adding that climate change also affect older persons.
“We are looking forward to see the leadership of Nigeria in Africa. I am also happy to hear the support from Nigeria for right of older persons.
“I read all your papers and plans and I am looking forward to see us monitoring, so then we can work together to make their lives better,” Mahler stressed.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the NSCC, Dr Emem Omokaro, said Farouq was so passionate about social inclusion for older persons.
Omokaro said NSCC have strategic plan and that older persons were integrated in 2021 to 2025 National Development Plan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the nine agencies under the ministry explained their activities and how older persons were carried along.
The event attracted officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant stakeholders.
NAN also reports that Mahler and Omokaro had earlier visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Budget and National Planning on advocacy. (NAN)