TODAY’S VIEWPOINT IS ON THE NEED TO CARE FOR OLDER PERSONS. IT IS WRITTEN BY YETUNDE OKE, HEAD OF EDITORIAL UNIT PENSIONERS’ FM
Novelist, Kilroy Oldster, says “growing old is humbling and it takes effort to accomplish this stage of life with dignity.
Perhaps, this must have informed the United Nations General Assembly to on the 14th of December 1990, designated every 1st of October, as the International Day of the Older Persons.
It is also worthy to note that the theme for the 2023 commemoration of the day was “Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations”.
Back home in Nigeria, both women and men over 60 years old are regarded as older persons with vulnerabilities.
The Nigerian government and its development partners have sought to tackle the country’s high rates of poverty and vulnerability among the older persons, which led to creation of different programmes and policies under the umbrella of ‘social protection’.
Pensioners constitute a significant part of older persons globally, and data from Pension Commission (PENCOM) and Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) show that there are over 978,200 retirees from both federal government and private sector under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS).
However, this figure does not include pensioners from the 36 states of the federation.
Out of over nine million older persons in Nigeria, 2,752,799 (representing 29.38 percent) have been identified as poor and vulnerable.
While the continent of Africa currently has the lowest share of adults aged 60 and older in its population among all world regions, the total number of older Africans is projected to triple between now and 2050.
Nigeria, Africa’s leading economy and most populated country in Africa, has the highest number of older people in the continent and the 19th highest across the globe, with the population of Nigerians aged 65 and older projected to nearly triple by 2050.
However, the increase in older Nigerians is occurring against the backdrop of extreme poverty, unsolved development problems, socio economic inequality, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and a decline in the traditional care and support of older adults.
Additionally, the absence of an operational national aging policy or safety net services and programmes poses a unique challenge to older Nigerians and their families.
To help the older persons in our society, it is important for government and other stakeholders to establish effective policy interventions for the adequate care and support of older Nigerians.
Also government at all levels must review their current practices with a view to better integrate a life course approach to human rights in their work.
They must also ensure active and meaningful participation of all stakeholders and senior citizens at ensuring that policies to render first class treatment for the older persons are formulated and fully implemented, because according to inspirational writer, Lailah Akita “Blessed is the society that has Oldies.
