Adedokun Waliyu 
The United Nations’ Independent Experts on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Older Persons, Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Right (UNCHR), has observed that older persons in Nigeria do not enjoy all human rights.
The UN’s team, led by Dr Claudia Mahler, observed this in Abuja during a visit to the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba.
Mahler, according to a statement yesterday by the spokesman of the ministry, Hassan Dodo, said her team visited Nigeria to raise awareness that older persons were left behind because they were neither seen nor visible in the data.
She said the UN would like to have a clear picture of the situation to further collaborate with Nigeria on how better to improve the situation for older persons in Nigeria.
The minister, represented by the permanent secretary, Olushola Idowu, said the federal government would continue to support older persons to ensure their rights were not compromised.
He noted that the government had created a social development department, National Senior Citizen Centre, in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development and Disaster Management to address the plight of older persons.
