25 Million Elderly Nigerians Projected to Face Poverty Risk by 2050 – Report Warns
A new projection has warned that about 25 million elderly Nigerians could be at risk of poverty by 2050, raising fresh concerns over the country’s preparedness for a rapidly ageing population.
The forecast was highlighted by a professor of social gerontology at Lagos State University during an academic lecture, where he said Nigeria’s elderly population is expanding quickly but without a matching social protection system to support them.
According to the projection, Nigeria currently has over 14 million citizens aged 60 and above, and this figure is expected to rise sharply over the coming decades as life expectancy improves and the population grows.
Weak social protection systems raising concerns
Experts warn that the country’s existing welfare structures are not strong enough to support this demographic shift. Factors driving vulnerability among older citizens include:
High inflation, especially food prices
Weak or absent pension coverage for many informal workers
Breakdown of extended family support systems
Rising rural poverty among elderly populations
Analysts also note that many older Nigerians rely on informal work or family assistance to survive, a system increasingly under strain due to urban migration and economic pressure.
