The National Senior Citizens Centre said it would re-enforce innovative approach and commitment to enhance the capacities of Senior Citizens in the country.

According to the centre, the approach will be through injecting financial resources into traditional ventures.

The Director General of the Centre, Dr Emem Omokaro, stated this in Kano on Sunday, when she visited a tie and dye site at Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano state.

She said that the NSCC was committed to prioritising initiatives to enhance income security through the national empowerment of older persons in indigenous areas and crafts.

“The NSCC in collaboration with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has conducted an assessment of older persons-led indigenous community-based livelihood projects.

“Skills, capacities and marketing opportunities were mapped and assessed in 18 states and the FCT, with six local governments in each state, making a total of 108 local governments.

“Also, the assessment revealed that about 3, 240 older persons engaged in indigenous crafts in the pilot local governments collectively,” he said.

The findings according to Dr Omokaro, will provide baseline data on multi indicators of challenges of Senior-led indigenous crafts yet to be launched.

At the Dawakin Kudu tie and dye site, the DG interacted with old persons who disclosed that they were engaged in the trade for over 60 years based on a traditional system.

She pledged the Centre’s commitment to transforming and enhancing the value chain of such traditional crafts, for the benefit of the older persons in the country.

The DG, however, appealed to the younger persons in the community to synergise with the older persons for possibilities in new products and modern market promotions.

The National Senior Citizens Centre has opened pathways through the Kano State Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Ageing, to advocate partnership with the government.

The sole aim is to mainstream social Programmes in entrepreneurship, to enable quality life and well-being of older persons across the country.