The Nigerian Federal Government has issued a warning against stigmatising and discriminating against the country’s ageing population and older citizens.
The warning was delivered at the keynote speech of Humanitarian Service Diamond Awards 2024, which took place in Abuja on Wednesday, by Dr. Emem Omokaro, the pioneering Director General of the National Senior Citizens Centre.
The FG highlighted how critical it was to confront the growing belief among younger people in particular that elderly parents are a “distraction and burden” to society as a whole.
Her remarks were also a response to rumours that the health insurance program does not cover the ageing population, and that certain Nigerian banks have a policy of not extending credit facilities beyond a specific threshold to individuals who are past a particular age.
However, Omokaro argued that growing older should be embraced rather than despised.
It’s what everyone prays for, she remarked. It is cause for celebration. Nonetheless, there is a fairly negative perception of senior citizens. They’re thought to be a distraction. This is a result of the false belief that the elderly population has nothing valuable to contribute. Thus, the question of which demographic should be taken into account arises when opportunities in humanitarian delivery operations arise, possibly as a result of financing constraints.
Naturally, older people might not be given as much attention once that subject is raised. Since they can’t offer anything, many think it’s a waste. Our goal is to rewrite that story. The elderly population is as diverse as you could want. On the one hand, there are elderly people who are vibrant and capable of leading autonomous lives. They have persisted in making investments in their communities and remain the heads of their families.
Conversely, there are elderly people who are utterly impoverished, defenceless, and incapable of providing any assistance to themselves. They rely on others to take care of their feeding, mobility, and cleanliness. We have had occasion to conduct our needs assessment at the NSCC, and in doing so, we have discovered elderly farmers, weavers, and artisans who continue to add to the complexity of their work and create the most exquisite things you can imagine. An opportunity is all they require.
Osahon Okunbo, the chairman of the Wells Carlton Hotel and a recipient of the diamond award, agreed with her.
In addition to accepting a posthumous award in memory of his late father, Captain Idahosa Wells, Okunbo urged Nigerians to think of providing care for the elderly as an investment in humanitarian endeavours.
“Humanity, being humane, is God’s task to us on earth,” he declared. We ought to live for more than just ourselves. We must live for other people. Among the individuals who really impacted my life was my father, the late Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbor. He shared with me some values, one of which is that investing in people is one of the best things you can do. That’s what his life demonstrated.
“Due to my identification, I have had the good fortune to meet two or three people in London who offered to help me, stating that my father assisted them even though he did not personally know them. This demonstrates even more that, if God favours us, investing in others is indeed our calling. It is among the fundamental principles we have to preserve. That’s how I chose to live my life and, quite candidly, I don’t think I deserve a medal for it.
“I have one basic message for everyone out there. If you are unable to aid a million, thousand, or hundred persons, it doesn’t matter. Just assist one person to begin with. Begin by focussing on your family and local community. Maybe we can make a difference in the world.