Population Dynamics, National Policy and Mainstreaming of Ageing in Nigeria

Uche C. Isiugo-Abanihe(Professor of Demography)

Paul University, Awka &

University of Ibadan

Inaugural Conference of the African Society for Ageing Research and Development, Abuja, 13-14 October, 2015

Introduction

• Population dynamics refers to how the number of individuals in a population changes over time. • Specifically, it deals with the way a population is affected by

birth (fertility) and death (mortality) rates, as well as by migration. • For a normal population, changes in fertility and mortality

lead to population ageing. • Population ageing is a shift in the distribution of a country’s

population towards older ages, 60 years plus.

Introduction: Population Ageing

• Population ageing is a change in the numbers of older persons in relation to other age groups in the population. • It occurs due to rising life expectancy (or declining mortality

rates) and/or declining fertility rates. • Characterized of an ageing population: increase in the

population's median age, a decline in the proportion of children, and a rise in the proportion of the elderly. • Population ageing is widespread across the world. • Most advanced in the most highly developed countries.

Population Dynamics in Nigeria

• Nigeria is the world’s 7th most populous country, with an estimated population of 182 million people in 2015 (UN, 2015)• High growth rate above 2.5%, a product of persistent high

fertility over time and declining mortality (Isiugo-Abanihe, 2010). • Nigeria is projected to increase to 262.6 million in 2030; • And 398.5 million in 2050 when it would become the 3rd most

populous country in the world.

Nigerian: A Youthful Population

• From the 2006 census, about 42% of Nigerian population are children 0-14 years and about 60% less than 25 years.

• Less than 5% aged 60 years+.

• This makes Nigeria a youthful population with children and adolescents making up disproportionately large part of the population, a product of many couples having many children (Fig1).

Population Pyramid: Nigerian 2010

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80 +

-14 -12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

2010

Female Male

Table 1: Fertility and Mortality Indicators: Nigeria 1990-95 to 2025-30

_________________________________________________________ 1990-95 2005-10 2010-15 2015-20 2025-30

• Total Fertility Rate 6.37 5.91 5.74 5.41 4.74• Life Expectancy 46.1 50.2 52.3 53.7 56.7• Infant Mortality Rate 126 89.9 76.3 67.7 55.0• Under-five Mortality 213.3 142.2 122.2 109.4 89.6

• Source: United Nations, 2015

Table 2: Broad Age Structure of Nigeria’s Population

Age group 2015 2050 2100• 0-14 44.0% 35.2% 23.6%• 15-59 51.5% 58.4% 61.0%• 60+ 4.5% 6.3% 15.3%

 _____________________________________________________________ • Total Population 182m 398m 752m• Population 60+ 8.2m 25m 115m

______________________________________________________________

Source: United Nations, 2015

Large Increases in the Population of the Elderly Envisaged for Nigeria

• It is evident in the Table 2 that significant population ageing is still a long way off in Nigeria.

• However, 4.5% of Nigeria’s182 million population gives 8.2 million people aged 60 years+, equivalent to the population of Switzerland.

• By 2050 there would be about 25 million elderly in Nigeria which increases sharply to about 115 million in 2100.

• Globally, older persons will be increasingly concentrated in the less developed regions of the world, such as Nigeria.

• The implication: issues concerning the elderly should not be neglected even though the number of adolescents currently dwarfs that of the elderly.

Population Pyramid: Nigeria 2060

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80 +

-24 -20 -16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Female

Male

Conditions of Nigeria’s Elderly

• As more Nigerians move into advanced ages, there will be increasing number people with physical fragility, disabilities and degenerative diseases.• A majority of the elderly worked in the informal sector or self-

employed; inability to receive government social support.• Those who retired in the formal sector face irregular payment

of pensions and gratuities.  • Those who retire to the village find it extremely difficult to

access their retirement benefits or pension. • The major concern is poverty among the elderly, which may

worse as their number increases.

Conditions of Nigeria’s Elderly (cont’d)

A large proportion of the elderly reported receiving insufficient support from their family or kin.

The nature and manifestations of inadequacy of family support include:• Children’s judgment of the parents’ deservedness of their support

(especially fathers), • Accusation of witchcraft (especially among mothers), • Relative lack of resources by the children themselves or their relative

youthfulness, a product of delayed childbearing• Inability for children to support their parents given the burden of taking

care of own children• Diminishing extended family ties and increasing social distance between

aged parents and adult children

Conditions of Nigeria’s Elderly (cont’d)

• High levels of rural-urban migration in Nigeria, a large number of the elderly are left behind in the countryside where they eke out a living from the soil.

• Visits by urban or married children are far between; lowliness and old age depression are inevitable.

• A large number of the elderly do not have adequate living conditions.

• The problem of homelessness among the elderly, life on the streets, ageism, violence, victimization, abuse, poor nutrition, etc.

• Most Nigerian elderly live at the margin of life.

Coping Strategies adopted by Nigeria’s Elderly

• The inadequacy in care and support to the elderly compel them to remain in active the labour force for a long time, many years after retirement.• They find relevance in the large and unregulated informal

sector or self-employment.• Others seek low-paying contract appointments in privately

owned formal institutions. • Other coping strategies adopted by the elderly include

begging, asking for alms from faith-based and charitable institutions.

National Policy on the Elderly

• The increasing concern over the welfare of ageing populations worldwide culminated in the ratification of the 2002 UN Madrid International Plan of Action. • This was followed in Africa by the development of an African

Union Policy Framework and Plan of Action on Ageing and the drafting of several national level ageing framework, including Nigeria• A strong emphasis of all these plans was the call on

governments to develop strategies to ensure the economic security of their aged citizens, both now and in the future.

National Policy on the Care and Well-being of the Elderly in Nigeria

• Nigeria adopted a National Policy on the Care and Well-Being of the Elderly in Nigeria in 2003.

• The goal of this Policy is “ the substantial enhancement of the dignity, quality of life and overall well-being of the elderly in Nigeria, in particular, their economic security; their physical; mental and emotional health; their social participation; integration and sense of belonging; and their personal welfare in all other respects” (NPopC, 2003: 89).

• To ensure a future worth looking forward to by the elderly population, the Policy recommends positive changes that must be made in areas such as housing, economic security, pension and social security system, access to essential health and human services, employment opportunities.

Objectives of the Policy

• To improve awareness of the situation of the elderly and mobilize action at all levels for ensuring sustainable improvement in their care, security and well-being, nationwide;

• To strengthen social support for the elderly, nationwide;• To strengthen the family and the community in their role as care giver to the elderly;• To provide comprehensive and adequate health care for the elderly and to ensure that the elderly, nationwide, have

effective access to such healthcare provisions;• To improve the effective access of the elderly, nationwide, to adequate food and nutrition;• To reduce drastically the incidence of poverty and suffering among elderly Nigerians;• To promote and ensure, nationwide, income adequacy and security among the elderly, in particular, to cover all their

essential needs;• To improve the access of the elderly to economic opportunities, especially, employment suitable for their age and health

status, information and other relevant forms of support to facilitate and encourage their participation in economic opportunities;

• To alleviate significantly the problems facing elderly Nigerians with respect to their access to suitable housing and related utilities;

• To promote and improve the participation of the elderly in suitable recreational activities and healthy social interactions, including inter-generational interactions;

• To ensure that the elderly, nationwide, have adequate and effective access to such other social and personal welfare services as they may require for their comfort and well-being;

• To encourage and ensure the provision of institutional care, of adequate and affordable quality, for all such elderly persons as may require it;

• To promote and enhance the integration and participation of the elderly in mainstream community and national life;• To continuously monitor and evaluate the progress being made in ensuring the well-being of the elderly.

Implementation of the Policy

• The implementation of the policy involves participation of all tiers of government,

• private sector organizations, • international development institutions, • non-governmental organizations, • communities, • family networks, and • Need to establish an institutional framework that would facilitate

and ensure effective coordination. • This is achieved through the establishment in the Office of the

President, of a National Council on the Care and Well-being of the Elderly, comprising 19 MDAs, NGOs and FBOs

Nigeria’s Policy on Ageing: A Critique

The goal and objectives of the policy are impeccable on paper, but the policy has not significantly impacted on the lives of the elderly.

Reflecting on this, Asagba (2005: 40) writes: • The draft National Policy on the Care and Well-being of the Elderly was finalized in

March 2003. Yet, to date, it has not been ratified by the Federal Executive Council. • This delay is due, on the one hand, to hidden conflicts between ministries and the wish of

each to be in control of the ageing agenda. • On the other hand, and more significantly, it reflects the lack of genuine political

conviction of the need for action on ageing, and the presence of other priorities on the part of the lawmakers.

• Generally speaking, government’s priorities have been firmly fixed on economic development and recovery, specifically linked to the oil, steel and agriculture sector, and on reform of the government’s administrative and governance structures.

• Issues of human development and health, least of all, that of older persons, have remained a low priority. 

Nigeria’s Policy on Ageing: A Critique

• Although the policy on elderly well-being in Nigeria is very well conceived, there was no political will for its implementation.

• Apart from its non-implementation to date, there is little awareness of it. • No publicity has been given to the policy in Nigeria some twelve years after its

enactment. • This is indicative of lack of interest or low priority on the part of government. • The role of Local government not clearly defined to enhance the achievement of

the policy, especially as it relates to inclusiveness of families and communities of the elderly towards the implementation.

• The implementation framework and strategies need to be replicated and adapted at state and local government levels so as to reach the target population at the grassroots level.

• Adequate measures should be put in place for monitoring implementation of the policy; the elderly should be fully carried along in implementing the policy.

Mainstreaming Ageing

• Mainstreaming of ageing is the concept of bringing issues concerning the elderly into the mainstream of society or the prevailing current or direction of influence or action.

• It highlights the necessity to ensure that the well-being of the elderly is a primary goal in all areas of social and economic development.

• It entails bringing the experience, knowledge, and interests of the elderly (or the senior citizens) to bear on the development agenda.

• It is essential to adequately cater for the wellbeing of the large and increasing numbers of elderly in Nigeria.

• Issues concerning the aged, the most important of which is poverty, have to be mainstreamed in the national, state and LGA agenda.

Why Mainstream Ageing

• Recent research evidence has revealed higher magnitude, and more severity, of poverty among the elderly.

• There is a growing awareness of older people’s contributions to societal development.

• Mainstreaming ageing is a prudent step to take now because as their numbers increase rapidly in future, it becomes more difficult for governments to manage issues concerning them.

• Since all will attain the status of the aged except death come earlier, there is wisdom in making ageing a priority for all and sundry.

Conclusion

To achieve higher standards of living for the large future Nigerian elderly population, more proactive measures are imperative with a strong political will to make a difference in their lot.

• There is an urgent need to strengthen national capacities to help meet the needs of the elderly population.

• Current challenges confronting the elderly must be addressed in a broad and holistic national context.

• Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals and commitment to a more age-inclusive development agenda

• Need to incorporates responsive legislative and administrative policies and programmes.

• Need for inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary strategies.

Conclusion

• The elderly themselves, their families, communities and NGOs must be actively involved in the planning and implementation of such policies and programmes.

• Such a synergistic approach will inevitably involve awareness creation, education and mainstreaming of ageing in the educational, economic and social programmes at all tiers of government and the society at large.

• How family support systems are sustained vis-à-vis changing social structures are of immense importance for the welfare of elderly.

• Hence, issues concerning the aged should be mainstreamed at the national, state and local levels, thereby making it prevailing current thoughts and actions of Nigerian at all levels.

A charge for us to keep!!

Support the course of the Elderly.Old age is your destination;To which you are headed if God preserves you.Enhancing the status of the aged is also enhancing your status!The senior citizens have toiled and wasted for you;Can you allow them go to the grave in anguish and regrets?So let us arise and make ageing prevailing current thoughts and actions for all and sundry!

THANK YOU

&

FAREWELL