Recent sociological shifts are precipitating a silent crisis in elder care across Africa. The intergenerational contract that has long underpinned elder care in Africa is fast eroding. Where children were once the presumed social security for aging parents, a new generational ethos, one that prioritises individual success and geographic mobility threatens to leave this compact in ruin. Empirical evidence, including a foundational survey I conducted five years ago indicates a marked generational reprioritisation of values among Gen Z, with personal ambition increasingly superseding traditional family obligations. This paper argues that this paradigmatic shift renders the longstanding model of elderly care perilously unsustainable. Consequently, it becomes imperative to explore the urgent policy need for developing formal, culturally-attuned, and quality care infrastructures to safeguard the continent’s aging population.

A contemporary manifestation of this generational shift is vividly playing out on social media platforms, where heated debates question the very obligation of Gen Z to provide for their parents in old age. Within the Yoruba cultural context, this challenges the deeply ingrained concept of “ounjẹ ọmọ”—literally “a child’s food”, which metaphorically means the expected reward in cash and in kind of a parent’s labor over the children. However, a significant segment of today’s youth vehemently rejects this traditional compact.

Their rationale is multifaceted, stemming from cultural evolution, economic instability, and a firm belief in personal autonomy. A particularly stark argument that frequently surfaces is the contention that, as they did not consent to be born, any financial support for their parents is a matter of personal discretion, not a cultural or moral imperative. This digital discourse reveals a profound cultural schism, where Gen Z expresses unabated displeasure towards inherited norms of filial duty, signaling a decisive break from the past.

We can deduce many reasons why western Gen Z behaves this way and one of the reasons is that western Gen Z faces significant financial anxieties. The Deloitte survey highlights that 48% of Gen Z respondents do not feel financially secure, with over half living paycheck to paycheck and more than a third struggling to cover monthly expenses This economic challenges mirror the economic reasons cited by Nigerian Gen Z and could similarly limit their ability or willingness to financially support aging parents, as discretionary care spending might be deprioritized.

The case of Nigeria is different going by my interaction with Gen Z. The rejection of elder care duties among Nigerian Gen Z occurs within a context of severely underdeveloped formal support systems. With weak government policies, a lack of affordable elderly care facilities, and no robust social safety net, the potential consequences of this cultural shift are severe, potentially leaving many elderly Nigerians without any support. This attitude is also fueled by urbanization and the erosion of traditional cohesive family structures, which previously enforced these care norms.

The empirical reality across Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, reveals a profound systemic failure in elder care, underscoring the urgent need for state intervention rather than relying on increasingly untenable family support structures. Nigeria’s approach remains critically underdeveloped, with its primary national framework; the National Senior Citizens Centre Act of 2018—suffering from severe under-implementation, chronic underfunding, and a near-total absence of dedicated functional infrastructure. While pension schemes like the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) exist, they are inaccessible to the vast majority; only an estimated 8.4 million out of over 70 million working Nigerians are enrolled, leaving most elderly without any income security. Even for those covered, accessing benefits is often hampered by bureaucratic delays, inefficient approval processes, and a lack of transparency, as recent reforms by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) have sought to streamline remittances but still face operational challenges. My mother, a retired teacher, is a victim of this malady. This institutional neglect is compounded by a rapidly aging population projected to double or triple in the next two decades, placing an impossible burden on adult children who are themselves grappling with urbanization, economic precarity, and shifting cultural values that reject traditional obligations like “ounjẹ ọmọ” (eating from one’s children). The state’s obligation is further justified by the devastating human cost of inaction: elderly Nigerians increasingly face preventable diseases, untreated chronic conditions, dementia without support, and severe financial insecurity, with less than 1.5% of GDP allocated to social protection—far below the global average of 6.9%. Therefore, the care of senior citizens must be redefined as a fundamental state responsibility, requiring comprehensive policies that integrate affordable healthcare, social pensions for the informal sector, community-based care centers, and robust regulatory oversight to ensure dignity and well-being in old age.

This analysis sets the stage for a critical conversation about solutions. In Part 2 of this publication, I will shift from diagnosing the problem to prescribing a path forward. I will delve into practical, multi-level interventions, exploring how parents’ coaches can guide today’s adults in their 50s to prepare holistically for retirement, beyond just finances. Furthermore, we will outline specific, actionable policy proposals that the government can adopt to build a compassionate, sustainable, and effective care infrastructure that safeguards the dignity of every senior citizen.