The researchers at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) have urged the government to strengthen family and community support, improve access to healthcare, and implement targeted policies to safeguard older Nigerians.
Speaking during the research dissemination programme on social support networks and quality of life of octogenarians in Nigeria, Prof Bonke Adepeju Omoteso, the principal investigator, said the study, conducted between 2021 and 2023 across Osun, Oyo, Benue and Imo revealed a lack of formal social support for elderly citizens.
He said: “The study is about the social support that is needed for our elderly people to live meaningfully in the later stages of their lives. We discovered that in Nigeria, we don’t take much cognizance of the healthy living of our elderly people.
