The federal government says it has set up at least 40 ageing desks basically meant for care of senior citizens in 40 different Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), saying one individual agency or ministry can’t handle issues related to ageing.
Although the government did not list the MDAs that have the section, it, however, warned against discrimination and stigimatisation of the older persons in various sectors, adding that old age should be seen as a beautiful thing to cherish and not to despise.
The Director-General of National Senior Citizens Center (NSCC), Dr Emem Omokaro, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday during an inaugural training programme for Quality Assurance Assessors certification in the Geriatric Social Care Skills Sector.
The NSCC boss also revealed that the government has developed a Care Quality Assurance System for Nigeria which she said national benchmark and minimum standard for the accreditation of care settings are embedded.
She said, “No one person, no single ministry can handle aging alone because what they do is different statutorily. NSCC has dug deep to understand different mandates of relevant agencies, and we went on a very high-level advocacy, meeting technical partnership.
“I want to say that NSCC now has 40 ageing desks in 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Of those partnerships, we ensured that there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). As it is now, we have the Ministry of Health and the National Board for Technical Education.
“These are the foundations that the NSCC is laying by working with different professionals bit by bit, by developing the Nigeria Care Quality Assurance System in the country.
“It is a system, that is why we have national policy guidelines on the geriatrics social care, quality assurance and Standard Operating Procedures. We also have the national benchmark and minimum standard for the accreditation of care settings with domiciliary in social care agencies.
“Before now, anybody will have the permission to do anyhow. Working with the partners, we are bringing standards, qualities, because our older persons deserve it. It is a right to have care that is appropriate, acceptable and available.”
Dr Omokaro stressed that care for older persons in line with global best practices is a skill that requires training.
“For anyone to have this skill you need to be trained, and for you to be trained, you need training providers. So as you have seen here heads of Geriatrics, Consultant Geriatricians, Family Physicians and Nurses from our tertiary institutions, they may have all the knowledge, but they are not certified to assess skills.
“So, these trainees here are nominees of these tertiary institutions who will earn the certification. As Quality Assurance Assessors, you must be able to assess competency, attitude and all other technical things.”
On its part, the National Board for Technical Education, described skills as the global currency of labour, saying to be a competent person, there must be competency based assessment and certification.
The Director of Vocational Technical and Skills Development, Engr Suleiman Yusuf, who represented the agency, said, “If you’re aware, the Federal Government approved Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework, and this is why NSCC is coming under, and is being supervised by NBTE.
“The framework covers all facets of training, and Nigeria has joined the league of qualification framework, looking after competencies, not academic qualification for engagement.”
