Quarter Past 65 Honors Senior Voices with Compendium Launch, Pushes Policy Advocacy In Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria. August 7 2025
By Melody-Esther Soyemi
The Quarter Past 65 (QP65) podcast, a pioneering platform centered on dialogue and dignity for older Nigerians, celebrated its first anniversary in Abuja. The event culminated in the launch of a specially commissioned Compendium, a curated anthology of its most powerful episodes, stories, and reflections from the past year.
Since its debut a year ago, QP65 has distinguished itself as more than a media outlet, it is a growing movement for inclusion. Hosted by Dr. Stella Ayamara Dorgu, the podcast has used empathetic storytelling in spotlighting the lived experiences of elderly Nigerians, navigating themes like meaning, resilience, socioeconomic challenges, and intergenerational relationships.
The QP65 Compendium titled “Echoes of Wisdom” was unveiled during the ceremony. A 135-pager described as an “archival collection of voices, lessons and legacies". It cements the QP65 vision, bringing together audio memoirs, expert discussions, and oral histories into a tangible resource for public education, advocacy, and cultural preservation.
At the heart of the celebration was a keynote from Dr. Emem Omokaro, former Director-General of the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC). She framed the milestone as a clarion call for policy reform and implementation.
“Only about 4% of older persons in Nigeria have access to formal pension coverage,” Dr. Omokaro reported, spotlighting a significant policy gap. She recalled Nigeria’s low ranking on the Global AgeWatch Index—85th out of 90 in 2013 and into the 86th position out of 95 by 2015 highlighting the urgency of eldercare reforms. She lauded the National Senior Citizens Centre Act (2017) and the National Policy on Ageing (2021) for establishing a legal foundation:
“For the first time, we have a legal framework recognizing older Nigerians as citizens with rights to be heard, included in budgeting, and to benefit from national development.”
Dr. Omokaro called on state governments to accelerate the domestication of these reforms: “States should develop their own policies… This is how the impact will be felt in rural areas.” These remarks are part of an evolving agenda NSCC-led initiatives have supplied assistive devices and medical outreach to 500 elders in Akwa Ibom State, while some states have already domesticated the Act at the subnational level.
The event doubled as the 76th birthday celebration for QP65’s founder and host, Dr. Stella Dorgu, who reflected on the past year with conviction:
“Quarter Past 65 today is not just a podcast, but a movement. It’s rooted in dignity, in dialogue, and the belief that every elder's story bridges yesterday’s wisdom and tomorrow’s choices.”
Her words framed the Compendium not merely as an archive, but as a tool for civic empowerment and cultural continuity.
The celebration drew an impressive lineup of dignitaries and national figures, including Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Barr. Dr. Didi Walson-Jack, OON, MMI, and H.E. Dame Pauline Tallen, among others who served as Guests of Honor delivering goodwill messages, HRM Hon. Justice (Dr.) F.F. Tabai, CON, JSC (rtd), Pere Esuku I, Royal Father of the Day, alongside Her Royal Highness Queen Ethel Diete-Spiff and Queen Zaynab Obanor, Royal Dr. Emem Omokaro, former NSCC Director-General and keynote speaker; and panelists Dr. Bayo Ayodele, Mr. Peter Igbo, Mrs. Florence Nwachukwu, and Godwin Mazi Abumisi, who led discussions on “Aging in Nigeria.”
The event brought together a cross-section of attendees: policymakers, civil society champions, media actors, and the elderly themselves - who were drawn from two senior citizens homes in the FCT. It blended solemn gratitude with a shared resolve to move beyond content into action.
Several awards were presented to individuals who champion the cause of senior citizens in Nigeria. Among them, was the Echoes of Wisdom Award, posthumously presented to the family of the late veteran broadcaster Dr. Tom Adaba.
Media observers and civil rights groups continue to recognize QP65 as a promising model for advocacy. As Nigeria’s demographic evolves, the lessons of QP65 point to the power of storytelling as a mechanism for policy transformation and collective empathy.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Dorgu announced key initiatives for QP65’s second year, the initiative will include regional listening sessions to bring elder narratives into communities, collaborations with educational institutions for curriculum integration, and policy dialogues to bridge elders’ realities with decision-makers.
“Our elders are living libraries,” Dr. Dorgu concluded. “It is our duty to listen and to let their wisdom shape our nation’s path forward.”
Quarter Past 65 is a podcast initiative with a heart for advocacy. Powered by the Ayamara Foundation, it uplifts older Nigerians through narrative media, story archiving, and bridging generational dialogue bolstering empathy, policy accountability, and inclusive nation-building.
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