By Bavoriat Clara
The Director-General of the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe, has called for urgent, strategic, and compassionate investment in age-friendly systems to secure the dignity, rights, and wellbeing of Africa’s growing elderly population.
The NSCC Director General who was represented by the Special Adviser on Policy and Strategic Leadership Dr. Tijjani Ajayi Delivering a keynote address at the All-Africa Healthy Ageing, Work-for-Life, and Geriatric Social Care Conference held in Abuja said time is running out to build systems that can adequately serve the continent’s elderly population, projected to exceed Two hundred and twenty million by 2050.
Her keynote, titled “The Role of Institutional Frameworks in Advancing Dignified Ageing and Geriatric Social Care for Africa’s Senior Citizens,” set the tone for a continental dialogue on transforming ageing into a pillar of national and regional development.
She emphasized, that Dignified ageing is not a privilege but a right and a cornerstone of sustainable national development. She noted that how Africa treats its elders today will determine the kind of future the continent secures for its next generation. The ageing population, she added, is not a burden but a rich reservoir of wisdom, heritage, and continuity.
The keynote address spotlighted key pillars needed to drive this transformation. These include the development of strong legal frameworks to protect the rights of older persons, integrating ageing into national development policies, and establishing sustainable financial models to fund eldercare. She also emphasized the importance of institutional capacity to deliver culturally relevant services, building a skilled geriatric care workforce, and promoting public awareness to eliminate age-based discrimination and foster intergenerational solidarity.
She also highlighted Nigeria’s proactive approach through the NSCC, including the implementation of the National Policy on Ageing, the Geriatric Social Care Extension Services, the Community Livelihood Revolving Fund for Senior Citizens, as well as digital literacy and entrepreneurship initiatives aimed at empowering older Nigerians.
In her closing remarks, the Director-General made a passionate call to African leaders, policymakers, development agencies, civil society, and the private sector to unite in building inclusive systems that value and protect the elderly, guided by innovation, compassion, and shared responsibility.
Africa, she said, must rise to the occasionnot just to care for its youth, but to honour its elders. The dignity of every African senior citizen, she concluded, must be safeguarded as a matter of justice, equity, and nation-building.
The All-Africa Conference convened a wide spectrum of stakeholders including policymakers, researchers, development experts, and social care practitioners who gathered in Abuja with a shared commitment to promoting healthy and productive ageing across the continent.
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