Why needs of senior citizens must be captured in Dev’t Plan — Bagudu

By Ahmed Ubandoma

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, has stressed the need to capture the yearnings and aspirations of senior citizens in the National Development Plan.

Bagudu said this at a one-day capacity enhancement workshop for state commissioners and Directors of Social Welfare on the domestication of NSCC Act and National Action Plan on Ageing in Abuja on Tuesday.

The workshop was organised by the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The minister assured stakeholders of the determination to work with NSCC to come-up with accurate and acceptable document that would provide a guide to ensure proper capturing of senior citizens into the national development plan.

”The national planning function, which resides in the ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, is the custodian of national development plans and it is a perceptive on where we want Nigeria to be by the year 2050.

”And, from there we also do the five year plan which is national development plan, then the annual budget.

”I would ask the director-general to ensure that these documents, which are available online are reflected upon.

”So that where we have not captured sufficiently the yearnings and aspirations of our senior citizens may be interrogated and improved upon,” Bagudu said.

He assured the participants that the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration had passion for the welfare and wellbeing of senior citizens in the country.

Mr Abel Enitan, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, said “Nigeria is projected to accommodate 30 million older persons by the 2050.”

The permanent secretary, who was represented by the Director, Special Duties in the Ministry Agnes Aneke, expressed the need to plan properly to arrest the situation.

”It is imperative to recognise the global trend of ageing population that by 2030 as we approach the conclusion of decades of healthy ageing, the population of aged 60 and above is expected to increase by 56 per cent.

”By 2050 Nigeria is projected to accommodate 30 million older persons.

”When Nigeria’s ageing population has not yet reached an alarming proportion, it is important that we proactively implement policies and guidelines to address the challenges of ageing in our country.

”Older Persons encounter challenges with negative stereotypes” he said (NAN)(www.nannews.ng).

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola