{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]],"date-time":"2026-09-19T18:37:30Z","timestamp":1789843050689,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":62,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]],"date-time":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1660176000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,19]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>While the continent of Africa currently has the lowest share of adults aged 60 and older in its population among all world regions, the total number of older Africans is projected to triple between 2020 and 2050. Nigeria\u2014Africa\u2019s leading economy and most populated country\u2014has the highest number of older people in the continent and the 19th highest across the globe, with the population of Nigerians aged 65 and older projected to nearly triple by 2050. However, the increase in older Nigerians is occurring against the backdrop of extreme poverty, unsolved development problems, socioeconomic inequality, the HIV\/AIDS epidemic, and a decline in the traditional care and support of older adults. Additionally, the absence of an operational national aging policy or safety net services and programs poses a unique challenge to older Nigerians and their families. In this article, we examined social statistics and the current literature to describe aging in the Nigerian context. Our findings highlight the importance of establishing effective governmental policy interventions for the adequate care and support of older Nigerians and the training of gerontological professionals. This article will describe the demography of aging in Nigeria, significant areas of research, key scholars and publicly available data sets, public policy issues, and emerging issues affecting the health and well-being of older Nigerians.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/gnac121","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]],"date-time":"2022-08-11T11:38:39Z","timestamp":1660217919000},"page":"1243-1250","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":65,"title":["Aging in Nigeria: A Growing Population of Older Adults Requires the Implementation of National Aging Policies"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"62","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9008-5508","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kingsley Chima","family":"Mbam","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston , Boston, Massachusetts , USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9184-633X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cal J","family":"Halvorsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Social Work, Boston College , Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts , USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0605-3002","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Uzoma Odera","family":"Okoye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka , Enugu State , Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]]},"reference":[{"issue":"6","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.5539\/gjhs.v5n6p186","article-title":"Role of socio-psychological factors in perceived quality of care rendered by traditional medical practitioners in Ibadan, Nigeria","volume":"5","author":"Adejumo","year":"2013","journal-title":"Global Journal of Health Science"},{"issue":"10341","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2092","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(22)01008-X","article-title":"Nigeria\u2019s new law aims to provide health insurance to all","volume":"399","author":"Adepoju","year":"2022","journal-title":"The Lancet"},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1676569","DOI":"10.1080\/23311983.2019.1676569","article-title":"Gendered violence and human rights: An evaluation of widowhood rites in Nigeria","volume":"6","author":"Ajayi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cogent Arts and Humanities"},{"issue":"14","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0004","first-page":"361","article-title":"Poverty and the challenges of insecurity to development","volume":"10","author":"Ajodo-Adebanjoko","year":"2014","journal-title":"European Scientific Journal"},{"issue":"3","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.1080\/13545701.2015.1015591","article-title":"Patriarchy and property rights among Yoruba women in Nigeria","volume":"21","author":"Aluko","year":"2015","journal-title":"Feminist Economics"},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0006","first-page":"73","article-title":"Conditions of the elderly in selected areas in Nigeria","volume":"43","author":"Ani","year":"2017","journal-title":"International Journal of Sociology of the Family"},{"issue":"2","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"575","DOI":"10.4314\/ahs.v17i2.35","article-title":"Psychosocial health challenges of the elderly in Nigeria: A narrative review","volume":"17","author":"Animasahun","year":"2017","journal-title":"African Health Sciences"},{"issue":"4","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"931","DOI":"10.1007\/s10389-020-01199-x","article-title":"Out-of-pocket health-care spending and its determinants among households in Nigeria: A national study","volume":"29","author":"Aregbeshola","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Public Health"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0009","first-page":"131","article-title":"Protecting the rights of old people in Nigeria: Towards a legal reform","volume":"40","author":"Ayodeji","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization"},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0010","first-page":"5","article-title":"Perceptions and attitudes of women on ageing: Old age and geriatric care in Rivers state, Southern Nigeria","volume":"5","author":"Bell-Gam","year":"2020","journal-title":"International Journal on Ageing in Developing Countries"},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"454","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-021-02394-5","article-title":"Attitude towards ageing and perceived health status of community-dwelling older persons in a low resource setting: A rural\u2013urban comparison","volume":"21","author":"Cadmus","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Geriatrics"},{"issue":"4","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"711","DOI":"10.1177\/0898264314559893","article-title":"Older persons\u2019 views and experience of elder abuse in South Western Nigeria: A community-based qualitative survey","volume":"27","author":"Cadmus","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of Aging and Health"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0013","author":"Centre for Economics and Business Research","year":"2021"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0014","author":"Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria","year":"2022"},{"issue":"2","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1007\/s12126-014-9205-z","article-title":"The future of elderly care in Nigeria: Borrowing a leaf from a foreign land","volume":"40","author":"Dokpesi","year":"2015","journal-title":"Ageing International"},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.36108\/NJSA\/4102\/12(0131)","article-title":"Care of the elderly in a changing Nigerian society","volume":"12","author":"Dokpesi","year":"2014","journal-title":"The Nigerian Journal of Sociology and Anthropology"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100979","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaging.2021.100979","article-title":"Gender differences in family support to older adults and implications for social work in south-east Nigeria","volume":"59","author":"Ebimgbo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Aging Studies"},{"issue":"2","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.11564\/33-2-1402","article-title":"Culture-based social support to older adults in Nnewi, South-East Nigeria","volume":"33","author":"Ebimgbo","year":"2019","journal-title":"African Population Studies"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-76501-9_2","article-title":"Aging in Nigeria","volume-title":"Aging across cultures","author":"Ebimgbo","year":"2021"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1177\/2333721420986301","article-title":"COVID-19 in rural Nigeria: Diminishing social support for older people in Nigeria","volume":"6","author":"Ekoh","year":"2020","journal-title":"Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/08952841.2021.1999734","article-title":"Aging in rural Nigeria: Gendered exclusion of rural older adults and its impact on their perceived life satisfaction in South-East Nigeria","author":"Ekoh","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Women and Aging"},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.5937\/ekonhor1901003F","article-title":"Evaluating the benefits of the old and the new pension schemes in Nigeria","volume":"21","author":"Fashagba","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ekonomski Horizonti"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0023","author":"Federal Ministry of Health","year":"2018"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0024","volume-title":"Nigeria: Current issues and U.S. policy","author":"Husted","year":"2020"},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100","DOI":"10.6007\/IJARAFMS\/v10-i1\/7006","article-title":"Post 2014 Pension Reform Act and Nigeria economic growth","volume":"10","author":"Ikwor","year":"2020","journal-title":"International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences"},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0026","first-page":"239","article-title":"Analysis of forms and determinants of abuse of elder in six selected communities in Kaduna state, Nigeria","volume":"5","author":"James","year":"2019","journal-title":"KIU Journal of Social Sciences"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0027","article-title":"FG Approves National Policy On Ageing For Older Persons In Nigeria","author":"Lamai","year":"2021","journal-title":"Federal Ministry of Information and Culture"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-69892-2_1105-1","article-title":"Gateway to global aging data.","volume-title":"Encyclopedia of gerontology and population aging","author":"Lee","year":"2019"},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1186\/s12906-020-02881-z","article-title":"Traditional medicine usage among adult women in Ibadan, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study","volume":"20","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies"},{"issue":"9","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0030","first-page":"79","article-title":"Abuse of the aged in Nigeria: Elders also cry","volume":"3","author":"Mudiare","year":"2013","journal-title":"American International Journal of Contemporary Research"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0031","author":"National Bureau of Statistics","year":"."},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0032","author":"National Bureau of Statistics","year":"2018"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0033","author":"National Population Commission","year":"2009"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0034","author":"National Population Commission","year":"2014"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0035","author":"National Population Commission","year":"2019"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0036","author":"National Senior Citizens Centre Act, 2017","year":"2018"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0037","article-title":"Pensions reform in Nigeria: A comparison between the old and new scheme","volume-title":"Afro Asian Journal of Social Sciences","author":"Odia","year":"2012"},{"issue":"4","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1387","DOI":"10.1002\/hpm.2847","article-title":"A review of the incidence and determinants of catastrophic health expenditure in Nigeria: Implications for universal health coverage","volume":"34","author":"Okedo-Alex","year":"2019","journal-title":"The International Journal of Health Planning and Management"},{"issue":"2","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0039","first-page":"139","article-title":"Family care-giving for ageing parents in Nigeria: Gender differences, cultural imperatives and the role ofeducation","volume":"2","author":"Okoye","year":"2012","journal-title":"International Journal of Education and Ageing"},{"issue":"12","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0040","first-page":"7086","article-title":"Community-based care for home bound elderely persons in Nigeria; A policy option","volume":"2","author":"Okoye","year":"2013","journal-title":"International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology"},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0041","first-page":"1","article-title":"Caregiving and stress: Experience of people taking care of elderly relations in south eastern Nigeria","volume":"2","author":"Okoye","year":"2011","journal-title":"Arts and Social Sciences Journal"},{"issue":"5","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"439","DOI":"10.1177\/0733464805278648","article-title":"Stereotypes and perceptions of the elderly by the youth in Nigeria: Implications for social policy","volume":"24","author":"Okoye","year":"2005","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Gerontology"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e421898","DOI":"10.1155\/2011\/421898","article-title":"Family care, social services, and living arrangements factors influencing psychosocial well-being of elderly from selected households in Ibadan, Nigeria","volume":"2011","author":"Oladeji","year":"2011","journal-title":"Education Research International"},{"issue":"2","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0044","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.9734\/JAMPS\/2017\/33089","article-title":"Assessing the prevalence and patterns of elder\u2019s abuse in Imo State, Nigeria: A rural\u2013urban comparative study","volume":"13","author":"Oluoha","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Advances in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0045","author":"Orjinmo","year":"2021"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0046","article-title":"FG inaugurate board of National Senior Citizens Centre, approves National Policy On Ageing","author":"Osuji","year":"2021","journal-title":"Federal Ministry of Information and Culture"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0047","volume-title":"Buhari establishes centre for Nigeria\u2019s senior citizens, appoints board members","author":"Shehu","year":"2021"},{"issue":"23","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0048","first-page":"2553","article-title":"A survey of care and support for the elderly people in Nigeria","volume":"5","author":"Shofoyeke","year":"2014","journal-title":"Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0049","author":"Stakeholder Group on Ageing, Africa","year":"."},{"issue":"1","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0050","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1555201","DOI":"10.1080\/23311886.2018.1555201","article-title":"Care of the elderly in Nigeria: Implications for policy","volume":"4","author":"Tanyi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Cogent Social Sciences"},{"issue":"4","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0051","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"491","DOI":"10.1080\/02701960.2018.1428579","article-title":"The missing link: Finding space for gerontology content into university curricula in South Africa","volume":"40","author":"Tanyi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Gerontology and Geriatrics Education"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0052","author":"The DHS Program","year":"2022"},{"issue":"2","key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0053","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.11564\/27-2-481","article-title":"Ageing and national development in Nigeria: Costly assumptions and challenges for the future","volume":"27","author":"Togonu-Bickersteth","year":"2014","journal-title":"African Population Studies"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0054","author":"United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs","year":"2019"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0055","author":"United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs","year":"2019"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0056","author":"United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs","year":"2019"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0057","author":"UNT News Service","year":"2014"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0058","author":"U.S. Census Bureau","year":"2021"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0059","author":"World Bank","year":"2021"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0060","author":"World Bank","year":"2022"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0061","author":"World Bank","year":"2022"},{"key":"2022101905365994700_CIT0062","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2018"}],"container-title":["The Gerontologist"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/gerontologist\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/geront\/gnac121\/46393105\/gnac121.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/gerontologist\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/geront\/gnac121\/46564470\/gnac121.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/gerontologist\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/geront\/gnac121\/46564470\/gnac121.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,19]],"date-time":"2022-10-19T02:48:10Z","timestamp":1666147690000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/gerontologist\/article\/62\/9\/1243\/6661277"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Suzanne","family":"Meeks","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]]},"references-count":62,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,19]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/geront\/gnac121","relation":{},"ISSN":["0016-9013","1758-5341"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0016-9013","type":"print"},{"value":"1758-5341","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,1]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]]}}}