UN charges Nigerian govt on payment of pensions to older people

The United Nations Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of all Human Rights of older persons, Dr. Claudia Mahler, on Friday urged the Federal Government to step up efforts in its payment of pensions to all older people in the country.

Mahler, who made the call at a media briefing in Abuja, appealed to the government to make the pension scheme strong and inclusive.

She said: “In my 12 days in Nigeria, I have been to Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan and Makurdi where I met with different stakeholders, civil servants, agencies, CSOs and older persons themselves.

“My visit was to assess the level of enjoyment of human rights of older persons. From estimation, in 2050, there might be 25.3 million older persons in Nigeria.

“You can see there is a huge demographic change and that is why I came to Nigeria to raise awareness, because the demography change is a global issue.

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“That is why I also urge the Federal Government to step up its efforts to ensure the establishment of a strong, inclusive and steady protection system, including payment of pension allowances to all older persons who are entitled.

“But I can assure you that older persons are entitled to human rights for the rest of their lives.

“I also observed that healthcare for older persons is still scarce. They go to the General Hospital for treatment by personnel that may not have the capacity to deal with illnesses peculiar to older persons.

“And sometimes, older people wait a long time to see a medical doctor. At times, they face serious obstacles to get the right treatment.

“However, Nigeria has a strong economy in Africa and the country has a commitment to a legal and implementable framework on issues concerning the protection of older persons.”

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