The Abia State Government has said that the State’s Senior Citizens Centre, established by Law No. 4 of 2025, is a social protection policy and not a political symbolism, aimed at restoring dignity, care and relevance to elderly citizens.
Okey Kanu, Commissioner for Information, Abia State, in a statement, said that the law formally established the Abia State Senior Citizens Centre as a government-recognised institution.
According to him, the centre is not a retirement home nor a place of abandonment; rather, it serves as a coordinated hub where senior citizens can access support services, engage socially, receive guidance, participate in recreational and skills-sharing activities, and benefit from structured welfare programmes.
Through this Centre, the government now has a unified platform to plan, coordinate, and implement elderly-focused interventions across the state, replacing the previously fragmented and informal approach to senior citizens’ welfare,” Kanu said.
Kanu stated that the Centre is mandated to promote the welfare, dignity, and quality of life of senior citizens, by providing social, psychological, and health-related support, while also serving as an advocacy platform for the protection of their rights.
“It is empowered to develop programmes, maintain a reliable database of elderly persons, facilitate access to healthcare and social welfare schemes, and collaborate with relevant ministries, agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), faith-based organisations, and development partners.
“Administratively, the Centre operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection to ensure accountability, transparency and alignment with the state’s broader social welfare policies to ensure accountability, transparency, and alignment with the state’s broader social welfare policies”, he noted.
He said that funding of the centre, would be sourced, through lawful budgetary allocations, grants, and approved donations, in line with due process.
“Law No. 4 of 2025 is a bold and humane policy choice that places Abia State among progressive states that recognise ageing as a governance issue and institutionalize care for senior citizens.
Kanu, emphasised that the Abia State Senior Citizens Centre is not a free money distribution scheme, but a structured social welfare and support system designed to provide care coordination, dignity, and inclusion for senior citizens, not direct cash hangouts.
