Caring for the elderly

VULNERABLE. Sometimes subconsciously ignored. Dependent. Negative terms such as these tend to describe  elderly people in Nigeria. Nigeria is currently home to at least 9.7 million elderly citizens aged 60 and older, representing approximately 3 to 4 percent of the total population. However, demographics on sustainable development focus on Nigeria having a significant youth population. Consideration is given to the dynamics of education, poverty, and unemployment among the youthful population while elderly people are largely ignored. On the political terrain, manifestos typically pay scant attention to the elderly. Hardly have Independence Day speeches mentioned the elderly, let alone matched words with actions on that demographic. Yet, elderly people as a vital part of the population need to be catered for.

A recent mob action in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, shows old age peculiarities and why this matter must take the front burner of national discourse. In that dastardly incident, a United States-based Nigerian medical doctor, one Dr. Afolabi, was set upon by an angry mob in Ibadan after a false kidnapping alarm. Dr. Afolabi was stopped by a security guard for a routine vehicle inspection at the gate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and bystanders grew suspicious because the two young girls inside his vehicle looked distressed. Assuming that a kidnapping was underway, the mob raised a false alarm. The voices drowned out the doctor’s explanations as they beat him to a stupor and burnt his Lexus RX 330 SUV. The situation would have been worse if men of the Oyo State Police Command had not arrived on the scene and rescued him. As it turned out, the victim had lawful custody of the girls and was taking them to his elderly mother to live with.

We believe that children deserve parental care and education up to university level. We believe that the provisions of the Child Rights Act must be scrupulously observed, and that parents who deliberately fail or neglect to provide education for their children should be prosecuted. We do not believe that children should serve as house helps for anyone. At the same time, realising the peculiarities of the Nigerian society, we are reluctant to condemn the practice of sending young children to live with elderly relations or even non-relations, provided that appropriate legal and social steps are taken, and provided that the objective is to ensure the education and adequate care of the children while providing companionship for such elderly persons. In such cases, the children are not house helps. For instance, if the parents of a child are dead, in prison, or incapacitated by other means, including monetary constraints, there is nothing bad in an elderly relation or neighbour taking over the parental duties. In the case under reference, there is nothing inherently wrong with the idea of the children in question living with Dr Afolabi’s mother, provided that they are treated with love and care, sent to school, and given free access to their biological parents and relations. Indeed, in most cases in Nigeria, what obtains in such circumstances is a woman’s grandchildren living with her.

Nigeria is a highly communal society where many people will naturally recoil at the idea of taking their elderly parents to old people’s homes where they would be expected to be catered for by total strangers. That being the case, we do not condemn the idea of minors, particularly relations, living with such elderly people and thus giving them companionship, provided that their education and other needs are adequately provided for, and provided that this arrangement is not slavery in disguise. Across communities in the country, there are millions of old people trying to make sense of their lives, and having little to no support from institutions. While Nigeria is usually classified as a relatively traditional society with strong ties to family structures and localised roots, the treatment of elderly people remains a cause for concern. Not too long ago, the elderly were viewed as culture custodians and beacons of wisdom. Young people looked up to them with pride. It used to be a common sight for old people to be surrounded by relatives, in and out of festive seasons. However, with more rural-urban movement, increased migration for economic advantages, and harmful witchcraft allegations, old people have almost become an endangered species. In neighborhoods, many young people avoid them in the mistaken belief that they can cause spiritual harm. They do not eat food cooked by old people. Indeed, because of harmful religious beliefs, some people never take their children to the village to visit grandpa or grandma. Although those who have now found themselves within this vulnerable group have contributed great efforts to societal building over the years, now they come face to face with brutal poverty, abandonment, and poor access to healthcare at this latter stage of their lives. This is a depressing spectacle.

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While there are institutional schemes such as the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), such schemes are few and far between. According to information from the NSCC website, part of its functions includes the creation of “ageing desks and trained focal persons across relevant federal and state MDAs for effective ageing mainstreaming and liaison with NSCC”. Catering to the welfare of the elderly is multidimensional, especially when issues such as specialised feeding patterns, health conditions, and varied backgrounds are considered. The NSCC has its work cut out if the intention is to indeed provide quality care for a vulnerable population. Besides, a major challenge affecting elderly people in Nigeria is access to quality healthcare. Old age comes with emotional turmoil, loneliness, and increased susceptibility to certain diseases, which may range from mild to chronic: cancer, diabetes, arthritis, stroke, eye problems, and hypertension. However, with a country currently facing a health crisis of poor doctor-to-patient ratio and poorly equipped medical facilities, the focus on the elderly becomes even more necessary. There must be more specialised geriatric units and recreational centres accessible in urban and rural areas.

Several NGOs and charity organisations have tried to bridge the gap left by governmental institutions by providing access to welfare initiatives, but such endeavours are still only scratching the surface. Nigeria requires a wholesome strategy that takes into account comprehensive geriatric care as a priority. This should involve the actual implementation of social protection policies that are deliberate about seeing the elderly as a significant part of the Nigerian populace. Such policies should revolve around comprehensive health insurance availability, welfare programmes, and intense public awareness, which takes the elderly out of the barely visible corners of governance to the centre. Another major issue is the plight of pensioners. According to the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), as of May 2026, there were pensioners owed by some states as far back as 2013. Such a pattern, which is not restricted to states, speaks to the poor treatment of pensioners who sometimes have to access basic healthcare or even supplement feeding and shelter requirements using pension funds. The pension scheme in Nigeria, which appears to be largely burdensome for retirees, needs to be tweaked. The authorities must address delayed payments, bottlenecks in relation to verification exercises, and inefficient administrative handling of eligibility for benefits. In a world that has become largely digital, technology can offer an advantage in providing easy access to digitised pension data, telemedicine access, and even e-recreation networks.

Old age is inevitable. Caring for the elderly should be a primary duty. It is time governments at all levels stepped up.