Restoring Dignity: NOA’s Push for Elder Inclusion

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) is steering a thoughtful shift to return dignity, visibility and value to Nigeria’s elderly citizens through programmes that reconnect them to the heart of national life, writes…

These are not isolated events. Across towns, state capitals, and rural communities, the NOA is working to make sure that growing old in Nigeria means growing respected, not forgotten.

It began with a deepening partnership between NOA and the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), established under the 2018 Senior Citizens Act. Recognizing the marginalization (social isolation, economic exclusion, and neglect) many older Nigerians face, both agencies agreed that a nation that ignores its elders loses its moral anchor.

“Too many of our older citizens are excluded from development programmes. They must be seen, heard, and valued,” said NOA Director-General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.  His counterpart at NSCC, Dr. Emem Omokaro, echoed a similar sentiment. “Older people have rights, not just to be protected but to be involved in shaping the society they helped build,” he said.

From late 2023, this shared vision began to manifest across Nigeria, especially in the South-West and South-South. In community halls in Ibadan, Calabar, Abeokuta, and Uyo, the NOA hosted “Elders’ Roundtables”, platforms where senior citizens could voice their concerns and experiences.

In Ibadan, one of the sessions saw retirees share stories about their youth, debate current civic challenges and even guide National Youth Service Corps Members (NYSC) members through lessons in patience, responsibility, and service. It was not just a listening session, but also a reactivation of wisdom.

In Calabar, women in their seventies and eighties recounted the impact of market reforms, healthcare changes and family structure evolution. Their views, once tucked away in silence, were shaping civic discourse.

One of the key pillars of NOA’s revived civic campaign has been the promotion of values enshrined in the National Value Charter (NVC), formally launched in October 2024. Among them is respect for elders.

In Osun and Ogun states, the agency translated this value into vibrant grassroots campaigns. Under the slogan “Iyi fun agba” (respect for the elderly), town halls in Osogbo and Abeokuta transformed into theatres of remembrance. Youths performed plays about ageing, primary school students recited oaths pledging care for their grandparents, and traditional rulers reminded communities that respect for the old is the soul of any moral society.

 In Ogun, elderly residents received free healthcare checkups during values week. In Osun, elderly farmers were given civic commendation certificates, which were acknowledgments of lives spent in service.

One of NOA’s most ambitious steps has been ensuring that digital inclusion is not reserved for the young. In partnership with NSCC, the agency introduced senior citizens to tools like the Mobiliser app, an innovation launched in early 2024 that allows citizens to give feedback on government programmes, report civic issues, and access key information.

In Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Uyo, training workshops brought older adults face-to-face with smartphones and tablets. With support from local NOA officials and youth volunteers, they learned how to use voice commands, read civic bulletins, and connect with health and welfare services online.

Also part of the tech outreach is CLHEEAN, NOA’s AI-powered civic assistant. Once reserved for tech-savvy users, it is now being introduced to seniors as a voice-responsive tool they can access by phone. As against treating senior citizens as passive recipients of care, the NOA is positioning them as mentors, wisdom-carriers and guides. Through a programme called “Golden Guardians,” selected elders are being trained as peer counsellors and community civic educators.

In Calabar, one such elder-led circle meets monthly to discuss health rights, pension benefits, and personal safety.  Meanwhile, secondary schools in Ogun and Cross River are welcoming older Nigerians as guest speakers. One woman, Mama Raliat in Abeokuta, told stories of life during Nigeria’s independence era, sparking awe in teenagers who had never imagined such times.

During the 2024 National Values Week, NOA’s efforts reached a joyful crescendo. In Uyo, senior citizens led the national pledge in Efik. In Ibadan, centenarians were paraded through town and honoured with civic medals. Across social media and radio, their stories became part of the national narrative.

One post read: “We honour our elders not just for living long, but for living well—for building the roads we now walk.”

In a country where old age is often seen as a burden, these moments were both symbolic and revolutionary.

NOA and NSCC are not slowing down. Plans for 2025 include regional “Elders’ Congresses” where senior citizens will contribute to national policy dialogues, the rollout of more rural digital literacy hubs for elders, and the launch of “Heritage Clubs” in schools where seniors mentor children in local history, moral values, and civic pride.

“These aren’t welfare programmes,” Issa-Onilu reminds us. “They’re civic empowerment strategies. We’re not helping elders out—we’re putting them back where they belong: at the centre of community life.”

In the quiet dignity of a grandmother leading a national values recital, or an old farmer learning to report civic issues on a tablet, something profound is taking root. Through the work of NOA and its partners, Nigeria is slowly learning to value age not as an ending, but as a legacy in motion.