By Gabriel Ameh, The Sight News
Geriatric care in Nigeria faces significant challenges due to limited resources, insufficient healthcare, infrastructure, and a shortage of specialized professionals. Despite these hurdles, efforts are being made to improve elderly care services and initiatives like the introduction of domiciliary care models and increased focus on senior citizens’ welfare by organizations such as the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) are steps toward enhancing the quality of life for Nigeria’s aging population.
It is on this premise that the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) today held a workshop in Nigeria, focusing on the implementation of a new domiciliary care agency model.
This initiative aims to revolutionize elderly care across the country, providing enhanced support and services for senior citizens and by introducing this innovative model, the workshop marks a significant step forward in addressing the needs of Nigeria’s aging population and improving their quality of life.
Speaking at the 2 day workshop in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Abel Enitan who was represented by Mr Garba Haganawega, said that the Care Agenda in Nigeria piloted by the National Senior Citizens Centre, has built important momentum over the last year, in line with the General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/77/317 titled “the International Day of “Care and Support”, and the Human Rights Council adopted resolution- “Centrality of Care and Support from a human Rights Perspective’’.
According to Enitan, the latest resolution adopted by the ECOSOC (E/RES/2024/4) urged Member States to ensure the creation of enabling environments for promoting care and support systems for social development and implement all measures necessary to ensure the wellbeing and rights of care recipients and caregivers, to recognize redistributive Care work among individuals, as well as, families, communities, private sector, federal and sub-national governments and, to contribute to the achievement of gender equality.
He further stated that Nigeria’s National Policy on Ageing and Plan of Action’s main strategy is to promote equity and inclusion and a society for all ages; adding that this strategy invites international and national collaborations and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals to improve the lives of older persons, their families, and communities in which they live.
“In its full range of activities, NSCC seeks to transform care and support systems to ensure that care services are appropriate, acceptable and accessible; that the services are human right based and older persons-centered care hence these efforts have paid off, as Care giving in Nigeria, is now being identified and classified as a skill with the needed geriatric social care quality assurance system and, the value chains progressively being established”, said.
Additionally he said that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is proud to note that through the innovative and transformative work of NSCC, Nigeria is paying attention to investing in its older population, noting that while integrating its youth population in its programs design with an optimistic perception of ageing and good understanding of the multi-sectoral challenges of older persons, NSCC is intentionally creating job opportunities, enhancing productivity and, promoting geriatric market growth, in meeting the needs of older population.
“In this vein, the Ministry pledges its unalloyed support of NSCC by undertaking Ministerial- level advocacy for more funding support”, he added.
On her part, the DG National Senior Citizens Center (NSCC) Dr. Emem Omokaro who stated that the target participants for today’s workshop on On-Boarding Domiciliary Care Agency Model in Nigeria are the 20 special direct beneficiaries of the training, from across the States of the Federation and those resident in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to her, the composition of the 20 member master class is of significance to NSCC as the Agency presses forward its vision, mission and commitment to transforming Nigeria’s Care and support system to ensure available, appropriate, quality assured, acceptable, accessible and affordable older persons centered Care.
“This workshop is planned to align the teaching content with the National Policy guidelines on Quality Assurance in Geriatric Social Care and Standard Operating Procedures for Care settings, Care Agencies and facilitators, as well as the National Benchmark and Minimum Standards in Accreditation of Training Centers, Facilities and care Agencies”, she said.
She further highlighted the efforts and milestones so far recorded by NSCC in partnership with stakeholders to include, Care recognized and classified as Skill and integrated into Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF); Development of National Occupational Standards ( NOS) Levels 1-5 in Geriatric Social Care and integrating these NSQ levels in Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service employment cadre; Establishment of Geriatric Social Care Sector Skills Council (a multi-sectoral stakeholder and private sector led industry assessors and evaluators of Quality Assurance system; Identification and accreditation of Training Providers/ centers and training and NSQ certifications of the institutions internal assessors and verifiers-(these training preparation is on going).
Others are; Development and publishing of National Policy Guidelines on Quality Assurance in Geriatric Social Care and Standard Operating Procedures in Care Settings; Development and Publishing of National Benchmark and Minimum Standards for Accreditation of Care Settings, Care Agencies and Training Centers; Training, Certification and Onboarding of Domiciliary Care Agencies.
Delivering his goodwill message at the workshop, the Senior Social Affairs Officer from the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Mr. Robert Venne expressed his profound gratitude to NSCC for the giant strides achieved this far.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to NSCC for bringing us together to explore and enhance our understanding of this critical area” said.
He stated that, “Domiciliary care is a cornerstone of our community’s well-being, providing crucial support to those who wish to maintain their independence and quality of life in their own homes. The insights and best practices shared today will undoubtedly help us improve our services and meet the growing needs of our communities”.
