News PROGRAMMES

FG Begins Programme For More Engagement Of Older Persons

Written by Bunmi Abdulraheem

In an effort to tap into the wealth of experience of older citizens, the National Senior Citizen Center (NSCC), has unveiled plans to create a web portal platform to engage older persons across the country.

The program tagged Continued engagement Bureau project is aimed at creating a platform to collect data on retired civil servants, and professionals among others in other to link them with agencies of government or organizations that may need their wealth of experience.

The Director General of the National Senior Citizen Center, Dr. Emem Omokaro stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the Service Level Collaborations and Review of the Dummy Portal and other Support Instruments for the Establishment of the Bureau Program.

Dr. Omakaro said the Center would be launched soon in its national broadband portal in collaboration with various stakeholders such as SMEDAN, NDE to enable the older persons key into the various opportunities of engaging themselves in service delivery to the country.

”The Program would help to provide platforms for incubating and utilizing the skills, talents, experience and resources of retirees and other senior citizens for national and community development through volunteerism or paid employment”, she explained.

Dr. Omokaro noted that the older persons population category was critical for development, and if their potential were harnessed, it would contribute massively to economic growth.

The Coordinating Consultant, Dr. Emeka Okengwu  who reviewed the dummy portal, said it was in line with the National Bureau of Statistics and the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion NOTAP  data generation for service level collaboration on the continuing engagement Bureau program.

Two participants at the event, Assistant Chief Technical officer of Technology Acquisition and Promotion NOTAP, Aminu Hayatudeen  and an Activist, Lawyers for Senior Citizens, Nkiruka Anosiki expressed satisfaction with the federal government’s plan of action for the older persons.

They said it would take away waste of potential and stereotypes from the senior citizens.

RN