President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to assent to the Bill on Rights of Older Persons.
This call came from the communique issued at the end of the Dissemination Workshop on Baseline Survey on the Care of the Elderly in Nigeria.
Special guests at the workshop include Iyom Josephine Anennih, former Hon. Minister for Women Affairs & Social Development; Mrs, Agatha Nnaji, Executive Director of Dewdrop Foundation and Senator Eze Ajoku, President of COSROPIN.
Organized in Abuja, Nigeria, by Dewdrop Foundation, the workshop also arrived at the following far-reaching decision frameworks on Eldercare Management in Nigeria:Establishment of units in all Local Government areas for reporting cases of abuse of older persons; Enactment of appropriate punishment for abusers of older persons; Sensitization and awareness creation on the menace of abuse of older persons; Education and family reorientation on the care of older persons; Developing of IEC materials for National Orientation Agency (NOA) to lead in the creation of awareness in the communities; Establishment of functional Nursing Homes in all Local Government areas especially for vulnerable older persons; Establishment of Geriatric units in all Primary Healthcare centers in all Local Government areas; Establishment of social and recreational centers in all Local Government areas; Capacity building and regular retraining of caregivers and health professionals; Provision of Social safety net based on appropriate needs assessment and data collections; Skill acquisition and training of older persons who can in turn contribute to the economy; Skill impartation from the older generation to the younger ones; An unconditional cash transfer to the older persons; Encouragement of government, faith-based, community-based, and non-governmental organizations to establish and operate food pantries; Establishment of specialized units and designated lines in public areas for older persons; Establishment of Social and community support structure involving the community, religious and opinion leaders; and Encouragement of private sector involvement of older persons.
The Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development was represented at the workshop by Comrade Salifu Abdul, who also served as member of the Communique Committee. Other members of the Communique Committee include: Rev. Sr. Mary Jude-Therese Nwodo – Pietan Caring Mission for the Poor (PCMP); Mrs. Bridget Mark Udoaka – Brimax Care Foundation; Mrs. Azuka Egbuonu – Care for Adolescent and Women Development Initiative (CAWDI); Mr. Olayinka Ajomale – Centre on Ageing Development & Rights of Older Persons (CADROP); Margaret Chichi Nkire – Leadership Empowerment and Development Innovation Initiative Africa (LEADIN AFRICA)
