The article examines the current and future policy issues relating to the elderly in
Nigeria. Current issues identified are the marginalization of the rural elderly, the
inadequacies of the provisions and administration of the retirement policy, and the
increase in the number of urban elderly destitutes. The expected increase in life
expectancy, the concomitant increase in the number and proportion of the old old,
and the diminished capacity of the extended family system in caring for the aged
suggest the need for an old age policy that ensures economic well-being for the
elderly and provides the sociomedical and community support services needed for
their welfare.
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