10% priority given to older persons in Nigeria – Expert

10% priority given to older persons in Nigeria – Expert
NAN-HG-5
Aged
By Chinenye Offor
Abuja, Oct. 5, 2017 (NAN) Dr Emem Omokaro, the Executive Director, Dave Omokaro Foundation, says only 10 per cent of priority is given to older persons in Nigeria.
She said this on Thursday in Abuja at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the mainstreaming of Rights of Older Persons into Broader Human Rights between the Foundation and the National Human Rights Commission.
According to her, the aim of the collaboration is to strengthen the rights of older persons in the society.
She added that the aged were not taken into consideration by government and there were also no programmes in terms of social protection and health, among others, for older persons in Nigeria.
“Nigeria must take a lead so that other African countries will follow suit. It is important for older persons to be recognised and also imperative to identify where the gaps were and have programmes for them.
“They must be given rights to social protection and health,” she said.
The Acting Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Mrs Anukpe Ovrawah, said the signing of MoU between the commission and Dave Omokaro Foundation was meant to serve as a catalyst in the drive to work with Civil Society and MDAs.
It is also to mainstream the rights of older persons and other vulnerable groups into the normative framework for promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria.
According to her, the commission has partnered with relevant stakeholders at different levels to advocate for the improvement of the welfare of older persons and vulnerable groups.
This, she said, was in line with Section (16(2)(d) of 1999 Constitution as amended and in compliance with international minimum standards.
She added that the global community, including Africa, was facing an upward trend in ageing population, which sounds a wake-up call for Nigeria.
The acting executive secretary noted that the UN projected that the elderly population would increase to 2.2 billion in 2050 and stressed the need for stakeholders to galvanise all requisite assets and resources towards addressing the development.
She assured that the commission would encourage the Federal Government to put in place appropriate legal framework including the adoption of the draft on National Policy for the Aged.
Also speaking, the WHO Country Representative represented by Dr Andrew Mbewe, said that older persons needed to be healthy in order to contribute to the society.
Dr Martins Ejidike, UN Senior Advisor on Human Rights, Office of the UN Resident Coordinator Nigeria, said that older persons were individuals with human rights and needed a legal framework for inclusion of rights of older persons.
He noted that elderly persons would have the highest growth in the next decades and it was expected to reach 2.2 billion in 2050 and the fastest would be in Africa.
He, therefore, advocated for preparation for the growing number of older persons in terms of health and long time care.
He called on Civil Society groups, MDAs and older persons to play their part in ensuring that the desired change was achieved. (NAN)
CSO/IFY/MST
Edited by IFY OMOWOLE/Muhammad Suleiman Tola