The United Nations marks the International Day of Conscience on April 5. Nigeria has to improve its treatment of the elderly.
Life comes in a natural cycle. There is conception, birth, childhood, adulthood and then old age. Each of these stages is marked by its peculiarities and uncertainties, when they meet, they make for all that is unpredictable about life.
In a developing low-income country like Nigeria, where life is much tougher than in other places, negotiating each stage of life comfortably or otherwise depends on the level of support one has. The stronger one’s support network, the easier it will be to surmount many obstacles and keep going.
However, without a strong support base, each stage of life can prove more difficult than the last. The cycle of life sometimes abandons its cyclical shape to become linear. At both ends are found the two stages where every human being is most vulnerable: childhood and old age.
The predicament of children In Nigeria is well documented. For the children who live to see their fifth birthday, there are many more who don’t make it, no, thanks to infant and maternal mortality. In Nigeria—a country where twenty million children are out of school—many children have their childhood stolen from them before they are old enough to savour it. Many set out on a life of pain that meanders all the way to old age, where end-of-life challenges mount.
Life expectancy is low in Nigeria. Popular Nigerian culture regards old age as a blessing, and it is for those who survive many life-threatening situations in Nigeria to make it. Many do not make it and those who do are often powerless to avoid the friction that comes from a resentment of the old by the young in Nigeria.
The preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of humankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.” Moreover, article 1 of the Declaration states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
How can Nigeria ensure that its elderly people are treated conscientiously? First, Nigeria must strengthen the legal framework that protects the elderly and ensure that they live their last days with dignity.
Elderly people have the right to be free from discrimination. This right means they can enjoy education, own property, work and participate in government.
On February 10, 2021, the National Executive Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari approved a national policy on care of the elderly with the objective being a society where senior citizens are guaranteed security, independence, participation, comprehensive care, self fulfilment and dignity.
Earlier, in 2018,Buhari had signed into law the National Senior Citizens Act 2018 which established National Senior Citizens Center to cater for the needs of senior citizens i.e the elderly.
The fear however In a country where so many policies and laws have not prevented impunity is that the elderly risk falling through the cracks despite the legislations that seemingly protect them. This Nigeria must address with urgency.
A country that aspires to prominence in the comity of nations must be seen to be doing all it can to ensure that all those at each spectrum of life are as comfortable as possible.
Treating the elderly conscientiously means treating them with respect and dignity.It means discarding the distasteful and disruptive narrative that holds that the elderly are expired and have nothing to offer.
Conscientious treatment of the elderly means teaching children and young people that every member of the society matters especially those who may be close to the end of their lives.
It takes commitment to care for the elderly; it takes serious finance and watertight legislations. Nigeria has to more to that is serious about its seen.
Ike Willie-Nwobu, Coordinator/President International Federation on Ageing-Nigeria (IFAN)
