NSCC Advocates The Establishment Of Old Age Social Safety Net By State Governments
Oru Leonard
The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), applauds the kind gesture by the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti towards 100year old senior citizen and Akara trader, Mama Chidinma Eluwa.
The kind act of offering a social safety net for the poor and vulnerable is a pointer to the awareness of the Governor of the implication of old age poverty. NSCC however appeals that the Governor makes this endeavor holistic and sustainable in Abia State
The National Senior Citizens Centre has developed and wishes to share the National Frameworks, pilot tested programs and monitoring and evaluation systems (already published) with evidence of impact in states including Abia State. NSCC welcomes dialogue towards adoptions.
In Nigeria there are 14.840 million older person. 9.486 million in the rural areas and 5.4 million in the urban centers, (NBS (NLSS 2019) disaggregated data from NBS National living standard survey (nlss 2019) and Socio Economic and Workforce Survey 2021 put poverty of older persons at 33% of total national population of the poor. 16% of Older persons were found to be sharing meals from other households.
In Abia State for instance, there are in total about 509 thousand older persons. 30 thousand so far captured live in multi-dimensional poverty, (NASSCO 2021 data on poor & vulnerable household).
About 70% aged 70-75 nationally are still engaging in Livelihood ventures to make ends meet without any government assistance. 50% of those 76-85+ engage in drudgery work schemes with no optional security, should they stop, they will have no other means of subsistence. Familial transfers from children are few and in between and where they exist, the streams are very unpredictable. Adult children are mostly unemployed and are sandwiched between older parents and children.
National survey shows how tenacious older persons are – as artisans and small-holder farmers. NSCC in partnership with NDE and SMEDAN for the first time integrating them into government assistance in form of capacity enhancement and grants.
Now NSCC and partners have began aggregatIng many older persons who are still engaging in production into multi-purpose Cooperatives to support capacity enhancement/ financial support. Through the multi-purpose cooperatives, they would access Health insurance, end open defecation by support to build toilets, access clean water/hygiene, sanitation trainings/seedlings for economic trees and crop
Planting- facilitate building of senior community centers for healthy Ageing recreations and health Promotions, enrollment with NIMC for ID and multipurpose. Priority-based cards and social assistance card.
The National Senior Citizens Centre is appealing to State Governors to pursue Sustainable Social inclusion of older persons through Ageing Policy Development for multi-sector
implementation plan, project activities and dedicated budget lines.
These NSCC appeals that, it should not be haphazard and a Not one off. The States would need to show political committment to older population by domesticating the National Senior Citizens Centre Act 2017, towards, establishing an entity to coordinate older persons’ inclusion- especially social care for the frail and home bound and social safety- net for the very poor and livelihood development support for more income generation.
Governor’s for the long hanging fruits, before the long drawn domestication could integrate these aspects into their Special Project Vehicle and appoint focal persons to engage NSCC.
For many old, poor and vulnerable like the 100 year old, Mama Chidinma Eluwa, NSCC is passionately appealing for OLD AGE SOCIAL SAFETY-NET, not a one-off vulnerable grant for one or two of them by happenstance. But as a matter of deliberate state policy and strategic Human/Social development agenda.
A later life-grant disbursement for older persons,(social pensions) for those who never worked in public/civil service and no means of incremental contributions to pensions .
NSCC also appeals for timely payment of pensions for state retirees, who have gone for long periods without their hard earned gratuity.
Stakeholders on their part should capitalize on the development in Abia State, to advance the case for sustaining the good gesture.
NSCC remains undaunted in improving the quality of life and wellbeing of senior citizens in Nigeria.
(NSCC Media)
