Concerns are mounting among stakeholders and advocates for the welfare of older adults in Nigeria as cases of elder abuse continue to rise.

The perpetrators are often family members and caregivers who lack the necessary training and expertise.

On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, stakeholders stressed the urgent need for state governments to implement the National Senior Citizens Centre Act and the National Policy on Ageing, 2021, to address this issue.

The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse launched World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in 2006, and it was later recognized by the United Nations in 2011.

Since then, this day has been observed annually on June 15 to raise awareness and promote action against elder abuse worldwide.

According to the World Health Organisation, Elder abuse is “a single, repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship, where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.”

The WHO recognizes elder abuse as physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, or financial mistreatment, whether intentional or unintentional.

June 15 is dedicated to raising awareness about elder abuse as a violation of public health and human rights, with this year’s theme being ‘Spotlight on Older Persons in Emergencies’.

In Nigeria, individuals aged 60 and above are considered elderly.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics Nigeria Living Standards Survey, 2019, Nigeria has the largest population of older persons in Africa, with 14.8 million elderly individuals.

Data from the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office, 2022, shows that about 2.5 million older persons are included in the national data system for the poor and vulnerable.

The elderly population in Nigeria is projected to increase to about 30 million by 2050, with a growth rate of 2.8 percent.

The National Policy on Ageing, approved in 2021, aims to ensure the security, independence, participation, and dignity of senior citizens in Nigeria.

The National Senior Citizen Centre, inaugurated in 2021, is dedicated to meeting the needs of older persons and integrating them into national policies.

Wakadaily learnt that,Emem Omokaro, the Director General of the National Senior Citizens Centre, highlighted the lack of trained caregivers and dependence on family members as contributing factors to elder abuse in Nigeria.

To combat elder abuse, the agency has implemented training and certification programs for caregivers and family members in state and tertiary teaching hospitals with specialized geriatric centers, aiming to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide quality care and support.

“When older people are no longer vulnerable and needy, it will reduce abuse. Family members will feel relief knowing that they can access skilled caregivers. We are working with the National Health Insurance Authority and state governments to ensure that domiciliary care systems can provide coverage, reducing the burden on families and decreasing abuse,” she highlighted.

The centre’s partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, along with consistent public awareness campaigns utilizing various materials and jingles, has led to a significant decrease in the incidence of elder abuse and false accusations against seniors, according to Omokaro.

“We have developed a programme that we call elder justice and this creates a network of support for older persons to ensure that they have access to justice, redress, mitigation of abuse and so on. Most of this abuse we talk about happens in families and through caregivers who are not skilled, trained and certified.

“So many factors give rise to abuse of different kinds, and before now, non-governmental organisations were doing the best they could because there was no government regulation, system, institution and no umbrella body to have national policy guideline and a standard operating procedure to train and certify. But all these things I’m talking to you are now in place,” Omokaro mentioned.

The Director-General of the NSCC mentioned the establishment of 40 desks in various government offices and the training of 78 officers in ageing policies to improve understanding of aging issues. Additionally, partnerships have been formed with organizations like the National Human Rights Commission and Red Cross to address older persons’ needs during emergencies.

The agency is also collaborating with healthcare organizations and state PHCs to create age-friendly facilities. It was emphasized that supporting older people, treating them with empathy, and creating age-friendly environments is essential.

Regarding World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the DG highlighted the importance of respecting the rights of older individuals as they are also humans.

“Human rights do not diminish with age and for you to respect a person, it means you must first identify and acknowledge the values, qualities and achievements of that particular person and admire it. Our older persons deserve to be acknowledged as persons that have values and they continue to contribute.

“In emergencies, they should not be left behind. When it comes to communal living in IDP camps, their peculiarities should be taken into consideration.

“Ageing is progression and is the future for anybody praying to grow old. We should in our little corners become the support network for older people.

“We should treat them with respect and empathise. That is, you put yourself in their shoes and do everything to make the environment age-friendly,” the NSCC DG stressed.

Also speaking on the issue, the Founder and Chairperson of Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation, Josephine Anenih, affirmed that most elder abuse happens within the family setting.

She highlighted such abuse is often hidden and silenced, allowing the perpetrators to continue their actions unchecked.

“The culture of silence around this issue emboldens the perpetrators to continue but when we start talking about it and everybody knows about it and it is out in the open if somebody is abusing their parents or the person they are caring for and people around speak about it, I think it will serve as a deterrent to some extent,” she stated.

Anenih emphasized that involving communities in identifying elder abuse signs and features is crucial for prevention and intervention in Nigeria.

The ADF president explained that raising awareness about elder abuse will lead to established reporting structures and measures to prevent or mitigate abuse.

Anenih condemned the neglect, abuse, and human rights violations against the elderly, stressing that age does not diminish the respect and dignity owed to older individuals.

She mentioned, “That somebody is old or is cognitively impaired, has inertia or whatever, does not take away their rights as human beings and their fundamental human rights to dignity, respect, to not being abused, to say what they want and should be respected.

“We are also looking at what happens to the elderly during periods of emergency. Because most of them are frail and vulnerable, when there is an emergency, how does the community look after them and cater for their needs? So, we are shining the light on that issue because the impact of COVID-19 on the elderly was grievous. We also have floods and other disasters, so what is the response as far as the elderly people are concerned?”

Anenih urged for comprehensive and deliberate social welfare initiatives that prioritize the elderly, ensuring their inclusion in government policies.

She also pushed for insurance programs that provide free healthcare access to senior citizens, particularly the impoverished, to guarantee their well-being and support.

Speaking on the WEAWD, Anenih highlighted, “I urge Nigerians, especially the wealthy, to embrace philanthropy for the sake of giving, not for politicking. We need philanthropists to fund support for older people and their caregivers. Many family caregivers are unpaid, and the few who are paid receive inadequate compensation for their work. Proper pay and care for these caregivers are essential.

“There is a need for spaces or homes where elderly people can socialise and where those who are frail and living alone can spend their final days with care, love, and dignity. We need more private investment in this area because we can’t rely solely on the government.

“The few old people’s homes we had before now were managed by missions or in some cases, the government. But it is not enough and we find that they are not well cared for, so people despise or look down on old people’s homes. As a result, these homes often lack proper care, leading to societal disdain for them.

“We should have well-maintained old people’s homes, like those in other parts of the world, where individuals can choose to spend their old age with dignity.”

She pointed out that the traditional opposition to establishing old people’s homes is losing ground as modern life’s practicalities take hold, emphasizing that abandoning elderly parents in rural areas without support, under the pretext of cultural norms, is simply cruel and unjustifiable.