The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) has expressed its determination to support senior citizens, especially aged mothers in agriculture, in a bid to boost their agricultural business and ensure healthy living which speaks to the centre’s mandate of improving quality of life. This assurance was given by the Director-General of NSCC, Dr. Emem Omokaro at a one day town hall meeting tagged, “Grandmothers Arise for Good Initiative – Economic Tree Planting”, organised by the agency on implementation of the project in the Federal Capital Terrotory (FCT), Abuja. Omokaro stated that the centre had partnered with some agricultural organisations and some in the health sector, as well as traditional and local government authorities, to provide a conducive environment for aged mothers, and also mitigate multi-dimensional poverty in communities.
Omokaro also stressed the need to empower older persons in the country by providing them with necessary tools, towards contributing their quota to national development. She added that the project will not only create jobs and wealth, but also address issues of climate change. Participants at the meeting include representatives of the FCT primary health care board, water aid, FCT head of agriculture services and sanitation, as well as Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN). Also, at the event, the pilot phase of the economic tree-planting project for older persons in the Bwari area council of the FCT was also launched. The DG of NSCC further disclosed that with the pilot phase launched in Ushafa and Bwari Central in the Bwari Area Council of FCT, the pace had been set for the project in the country.
