The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Tajudeen Abbas has commended achievements recorded by the National Senior Citizens within three years since inauguration despite operational challenges.
Rt. Hon Tajudeen Abbas made the commendation while playing host to the Director General of the National Senior Citizens Centre, Dr Emem Omokaro and the management in his office.
He decried poor funding of the National Senior Citizens Centre with only Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira Budget in 2024 to actualize its national mandate, assuring that the House of Representatives will partner with NSCC to ensure improved funding in the 2025 appropriation.
The Speaker said, being the only focal Agency, whose mandate is focused on addressing matters of Ageing and Senior Citizens in Nigeria, it should be adequately funded for effective service delivery across the states of the federation and the 774 Local Government Areas in the Country.
The Speaker assured the Director General of collaboration with the Centre to Improve the Pensions Governance System in the Country, Improved Healthcare Delivery Services for Senior Citizens, Age-Friendly Environment for Older Persons and development of NSCC offices in the Six Geo Political Zones.
The Director General of the National Senior Citizens Centre, Dr Emem Omokaro, commended the National Assembly for the passing the bill that enabled the National Senior Citizens Centre Act 2017 and has brought a landmark shift in care of Older Persons inclusion in National Development Plan in Nigeria.
Dr Omokaro besides the complaint of gross poor funding of NSCC, advocated an enhanced capacity of the legislature in National Plan of Action on Ageing, Ageing programs implementation, Equity and inclusion as well as all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies show in concrete terms in their projects/programs titles justification and funding request directly targeted at older persons as beneficiaries.
Other requests by the Director General include; the House of Representatives to expedite action in the motions and bills on the Establishment of Regulatory Framework for the Geriatric Social Care Sector and its necessary infrastructure as well as pilot the training and certifications of 250 caregivers in each state of the federation as what is currently on are untrained and unskilled with no recognizable income and training.
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