NSCC To Engage Older Persons In Economic Trees Planting

The National Senior Citizens Centre, NSCC, has signed a Tripartite lease agreement on a 21.6 hectare farmland with Ushafa Community, Bwari Area Council.

This initiative is under the NSCC flagship program “Grandmothers Arise for Good Initiative: Economic Tree, Crops, vegetable planting project.

A statement by the
Head, Corporate Affairs, Media and Communications of NSCC, Mr Omini Oden quotes the Director General of NSCC, Dr Emem Omokaro as describing the initiative as a way to enhance the production and productive capacities of Older Persons (60+ Women and Men) in Nigeria through agriculture using the “Social-Economic Entrepreneurial Model”.

Dr Omokaro said the project will integrate water sanitation, hygiene, healthcare and Social Services.

“The project will have forty-three beneficiaries on a ratio of 40% male to 60% female in pairs working on a 21.6 hectare land cultivating groundnut, maize and cowpea annually”.

The beneficiaries are largely non-pensioned members of the Ushafa Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society who will adopt the communal approach to agriculture with the tendency to leverage resources from the community, private sector, government and other partners to improve on their output, production and productivity.

The initiative which has partnership with SMEDAN, WHO, Water Aid, FCT RUWASSA and FCT PHCDA will adopt and promote smart and climate friendly agricultural practices as well as enhance the production and productive capacities of the farmers and the Cooperative.

PR/Nkiru Okeke EDITED BY GRACE NAMIJI