The federal government is to designate a special day to celebrate senior citizens in the country. 

The Director-General of the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), Emem Omokaro, made the announcement on Sunday in Abuja. 

She said that the centre would soon come out with a date to commemorate as special day for older citizens, adding, “There is a UN Day for older persons but for Nigeria it clashes with our National Day celebration, which is Oct.1.

“So whenever every other member state of the UN is celebrating, Nigeria is celebrating Independence Day and it obliterates the International Day of Older People for Nigeria.

“It is very difficult organizing it now but there has to be a day – national citizen’s day – hopefully that day will come and it will be worth it,” Ms Omokaro said.

The International Day of Older Persons was passed by the UN General Assembly on December 14, 1990, designating October 1 every year as International Day for Older Persons.

The day is used to celebrate senior citizens globally, marked with visits and spending time with elderly people and loved ones in nursing homes and elsewhere.

The theme for this year’s Old People’s Day was “Digital Equity for All Ages,” which affirmed the need for access and meaningful participation in the digital world by older persons.

(NAN)