..Reform targets improved pensions, specialised healthcare, retirement welfare, age-friendly medical services
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Renewed Hope for the Elderly (RHE) has disclosed that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is restructuring the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) to institutionalise comprehensive welfare packages for millions of elderly Nigerians.
These, according to the group, include improved pension administration, specialised healthcare, retirement welfare and expanded access to age-friendly medical services.
The group said the planned restructuring represents one of the most ambitious efforts yet to restore dignity to senior citizens by transforming the NSCC into a stronger institution capable of delivering sustainable welfare programmes nationwide.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja Sunday, the Director-General of RHE, Dr. Bode Olaonipekun, said the Tinubu administration was laying a solid foundation for long-term social protection for elderly Nigerians.
According to him, the Federal Government has already demonstrated a renewed commitment to older persons through efforts aimed at strengthening the National Senior Citizens Centre and introducing policies that would guarantee their wellbeing.
Olaonipekun said: “We acknowledge the growing attention being given to senior citizens under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Through the strengthening of the National Senior Citizens Centre, the Federal Government has demonstrated a renewed commitment to creating policies and programmes that uphold the dignity of older persons.
“We welcome initiatives aimed at improving pension administration, retirement welfare, specialised geriatric care, preventive healthcare and expanded access to age-friendly medical services.”
Olaonipekun explained that beyond current interventions, the administration was designing a sustainable framework that would institutionalise welfare packages for elderly Nigerians, ensuring that future generations of retirees enjoy better protection and quality of life.
He said: “President Tinubu’s re-election promises the institutionalisation of benefits for the elderly.
“We will continue to advocate peacefully, engage constructively and ensure that our elders participate actively in the democratic process.”
The RHE director-general described elderly Nigerians as the country’s greatest repository of wisdom and experience, insisting that investing in their welfare was not an act of charity but a constitutional obligation and sound public policy.
“The welfare of older persons should never be viewed as charity. It is a responsibility. It is a moral obligation and a sound national policy,” he declared.
According to him, many retired teachers, civil servants, farmers, military veterans, healthcare professionals and community leaders have suffered years of neglect, inadequate social protection, poor healthcare services and economic hardship after retirement.
He warned that neglecting senior citizens would ultimately weaken national development.
“A nation that fails to honour its elderly gradually weakens itself,” Olaonipekun said, adding that: “Investing in healthy ageing today will reduce future healthcare costs while preserving Nigeria’s institutional memory.”
He also praised programmes initiated by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, particularly those promoting gardening, subsistence farming and environmentally friendly activities for elderly citizens, saying they complement the Federal Government’s broader welfare agenda.
The group maintained that continuity of the present administration would allow ongoing reforms to mature into enduring national policies that would permanently guarantee improved living conditions for senior citizens.
On the political front, Olaonipekun announced that the organisation had begun nationwide mobilisation of elderly Nigerians, pensioners, retirees, traditional rulers, faith-based organisations, professional bodies and community groups ahead of the 2027 general election.
He said the movement was targeting about 24 million votes for President Tinubu’s re-election.
He said: “We are looking at approximately 24 million votes from elderly and senior citizens across the country.
“We want to sensitise elderly Nigerians and make them understand the betterment that lies ahead for them if this government continues.”
He urged Nigerians to evaluate the administration’s record on elderly welfare when making electoral decisions in 2027.
“History will judge every generation by how it treated its most vulnerable citizens.
“Let history record that our generation chose compassion over neglect, inclusion over isolation and dignity over abandonment,” Olaonipekun added.
