Nigeria ranks towards the bottom of the list for life expectancy with just 55.75 years; this ranks them at 190 out of 193 countries. As a comparison, the United States ranks 46th with an age of 79.11 years.
Nigeria comes in as the top-ranking country on the African continent as the most populated and with the highest aging population. In fact, Nigeria ranks 19th across the globe for a population aged 65 and older, with this population projecting to nearly triple by 2050.
However, the rise in older Nigerians is occurring amid many issues, including extreme poverty, unresolved development issues, socioeconomic inequality, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and a collapse in the country’s long-standing care system for and supporting the elderly. Older Nigerians and their families have a unique challenge due to the lack of a functioning national aging policy, safety net services and initiatives. Hands 4Life is eager to begin to assist in the fight for the protection of the aging population.