NSCC to construct recreational centres for senior citizens across Nigeria

The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) on Monday in Abuja disclosed plans to build recreational centres for senior citizens across six geo-political zones of the country.

Dr Emem Omokaro, the Director-General, NSCC made the disclosure at the signing of  Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a private developer, Ovoteri Nigeria Ltd. for the execution of NSCC’s one community one Senior Citizens’ Centre Project.

Omokaro explained that, the idea of establishing, at least one senior citizens’ centre per community is to continue engaging older persons and give them a sense of belonging.

She said, public-private-partnership was critical to the realisation of the project.

The D-G said the centre would provide a unique opportunity for both the young and older persons to exchange ideas and provide counseling services to the youths.

‘“What is good about this project is that, though it focuses on older persons, but it is truly inter-generational.

“We design the programme in such a way that our youths will have life coaches as mentors and the senior citizens are going to have tutors for ICT.

“It is an impactful initiative for the inter-generational and we are going to upscale our artisans, so that whatever our older persons want to do to promote their healthy living, it can take care of that,’’ she said.

The D-G explained that the NSCC will engage members of the National Assembly, the Nigeria Governors Forum and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria to support the implementation of the project.

“Due to paucity of funds, we are engaging stakeholders from both public and private sectors, especially members of the national assembly to see a way of including these centres in their various constituency projects.

“The senior citizens that need these facilities are spread across 774 local government areas in the country,’’ she said.

Responding, Dr. Ovwe Sowho, the Chief Executive Officer of Ovoteri Nigeria Limited, expressed readiness to support all efforts towards achieving the NSCC’s target of one community one senior citizens’ centre project.

Sowho expressed confidence in the ability of NSCC’s executives to ensure the realisation of the ambitious project.

”For us as private sector we would mobilise other partners to invest in this project as part of our corporate social responsibility” she said.