Dr. Emem Omokaro, the Director General, National Senior Citizens Centre has said that the Centre is poised to transform the Health, Care and Support system in order to ensure that it is available, appropriate, qualitative, acceptable, accessible, and affordable for older persons in Nigeria.
Emem said this at the opening ceremony of the NSCC-UNDESA, a 2-Day International Workshop, On-Boarding Domiciliary Care Agency Model in Nigeria, held today 7th August, 2024 in Abuja, with stakeholders from the health and social welfare sectors, as well as international consultants and representatives from the United Nations.
While addressing the Stakeholders, Dr. Omokaro highlighted the importance of the workshop, emphasizing its alignment with the National policy guidelines on quality assurance in geriatric social Care.
She further emphasized on the need for a sustainable framework and system of Care quality assurance in Nigeria, focusing on human rights, gender equality, and sustainable development.
The DG also underpinned the significance of the 20-member master class of the workshop participants while recognizing their consistent efforts in the field of Care and their willingness to partner with NSCC and the Geriatric Social Care Sector Skills Council.
While outlining the key questions that the Workshop seeks to answer, including how to ensure care and support systems’ work for all older persons, foster economic prosperity, and improve working conditions for caregivers, Omokaro, as well, added that the Workshop was aimed to train operators who will pilot the domiciliary Care Agency model, a highly rated and desirable model in Nigeria.
She, conversely, pointed out positive results of the collaborations with Partners which has amounted to the recognition and classification of Care as a skill integrated into the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), development of national occupational standards in geriatric social Care, and the establishment of the Geriatric Social Care Sector Skills Council.
“The agency is committed to seeking technical and funding support to enhance its Geriatric Social Care Capacity Enhancement Initiative” She disclosed.
However, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Abel Enitan, who was represented by the Director of Legal Services of the Ministry, Mr. Garba Haganawega, highlighted the significant need for long-term Care for older persons in Nigeria, driven by the increasing number of elderly individuals and the growing prevalence of functional impairments.
He commended the DG for her extensive work in identifying cultural and institutional challenges, developing policy guidelines for Care quality assurance, and establishing standard operational procedures in line with global best practices.
Abel, referenced recent resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, urging member states to promote care and support systems for social development and to ensure the wellbeing and rights of Care recipients and caregivers.
He noted that NSCC’s efforts have led to the recognition and classification of caregiving as a skill, with a robust geriatric social Care quality assurance system now in place.
SIGNED:
Edeaghe Benjamin
ACIO
For: Director General,
National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC)
