By Nkechi Eze
In a landmark step aimed at advancing the welfare, dignity, and inclusion of Nigeria’s senior citizens and pensioners, the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) and the Pensions Transitional Arrangements Directorate (PTAD) have agreed to establish a Joint Working Group. The collaborative platform is expected to guide a new era of strategic partnership between the two federal agencies.
The development was formalized during a courtesy visit by the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Tolulope Odunaiya, to the Director-General of the NSCC, Hon. Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe, at the Centre’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday, August 4, 2025.
Announcing the development in an official statement, the Head of Corporate Affairs, Media, and Communications at the NSCC, Mr. Omini Oden, said the joint initiative will focus on a broad array of strategic areas. These include data sharing and joint interventions, national stakeholder engagement, medical outreach and assistive device distribution, pensioners’ welfare and advocacy, healthy ageing innovations, nutrition campaigns, and comprehensive profiling of senior citizens across the country.
While receiving the PTAD delegation, Hon. Akinyemi-Obe commended the Directorate’s dedication to the well-being of older persons and described the meeting as a clear demonstration of shared purpose and national commitment. She emphasized that the NSCC’s mandate aligns fully with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, stressing that her vision for the Centre is rooted in protection, empowerment, and elevating the contributions of senior citizens to national development.
“The NSCC is committed to building a society where older persons are not only protected but actively engaged as contributors to national progress. This partnership with PTAD reflects our resolve to foster meaningful institutional collaboration,” she said.
In her response, PTAD Executive Secretary Tolulope Odunaiya reiterated the agency’s core mission: “To ensure one pensioner equals one pension paid correctly, to the right person, at the right time.” She acknowledged that the federal government’s pension reforms remain focused on fortifying the Defined Benefit Scheme in a manner that benefits all eligible pensioners transparently and lawfully.
Odunaiya commended the NSCC for its visionary initiatives, particularly the Continuing Engagement Bureau, a programme designed to reintegrate senior citizens into productive national life. She noted that PTAD’s reform agenda including biometric verification, digital transformation, the ‘I Am Alive’ confirmation process, and regular stakeholder engagement forums complements the NSCC’s forward-thinking model.
“The confidence we are rebuilding in the pension system will be further enhanced through this partnership,” Odunaiya said. “We recognize that collaboration is key to ensuring that senior citizens are not left behind in national planning and policy implementation.”
Both agencies affirmed their shared commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s ageing population not only lives longer but thrives with dignity, purpose, and national recognition. The establishment of the Joint Working Group marks a significant institutional synergy poised to deliver impactful outcomes for senior citizens across the country.
