Office of the Special Assistant to the President on SDGs to support NSCC Programs
Oru Leonard
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has committed to building ten (10) Senior Centres within one year and progressively 10 each year over the first tenure of the administration of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinibu to boost the commendable efforts of the National Senior Citizens Centre.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope Adefulire made the commitment during a courtesy visit to her office in Abuja by the Director General of the National Senior Citizens Centre, Dr Emem Omokaro.
She said her office will partner with NSCC by adopting the National Senior Citizens Centre’s prototype and National Guidelines as well as initiating a public Go-Fund Basket to inspire and mobilize the public to contribute to funding Senior Centres for every community.
Princess Adefulire said to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, older persons must not be left behind, everyone should take responsibility, in the public and private sectors as it is not an offence to grow old.
Earlier, Director General of NSCC, Dr Emem Omokaro said top on the Agency’s prayer was for the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs intervention to realize the NSCC One Community One Senior Citizens Centre Initiative, which would serve as a hub for healthy ageing for senior citizens and inter-generational co-learning and skills acquisition centres.
Dr Omokaro, appealed for the support and partnership of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, in mainstreaming older persons into already existing appropriate programs of SDGs 1, 2, 6 and funding support for NSCC Senior-Led Multi-Purpose Cooperatives for Livelihood and Entrepreneurship programs through skills training, access to micro-credits or grants schemes for small enterprise and cooperative of older persons.
She solicited the integration of key elements of inter-generational approach of the NSCC plan of activities into OSSAP SDGs life-skill trading as well as Social Assistance Program that will provide unconditional cash transfers, food baskets for older persons in Nigeria.
On Geriatric Social Care, DG NSCC appealed for Training Grants for prospective Caregivers in selected states across the 6 Geopolitical Zones to cover Training and Certification of Geriatric Social Care givers for older persons in domiciliary long-term situations to meet the New National Benchmark and Minimum Standards required for Care Agencies to operate in Communities.
On Community Healthcare Delivery, Omokaro sought support for provision of insurance grant for poor and vulnerable older persons living with Dementia and other protracted illness, Rural Women program with added value chains.
(NSCC Media)
