23/07/2025
WHY IS THIS SO?
In Nigeria, many elderly people still smile. But behind that smile is a life of hardship, no pension, no healthcare, no food security, and no support from a system that has long forgotten them. Their smiles are not signs of peace but proof of decades of endurance. We see them walking the streets, bent by age, yet carrying firewood or hawking, and we say, “They are strong.” But should survival at old age be heroic?
In other parts of the world, the elderly have access to pensions, housing, healthcare, and transportation. Even with all that, many still speak out when they feel neglected. But here, our old ones suffer quietly. Why? Is it culture? Is it religion? Is it because they believe their reward is in heaven? Or have we simply normalised old-age poverty and called it dignity?
We have made aging in Nigeria a punishment. After a lifetime of contribution, many are abandoned. Retirement does not mean rest, it means struggle. It means being forgotten. It means being invisible.
The system has failed, yes. But so has society. So have we. We use their smiles to prove that Nigerians are resilient, but forget that pain can also wear a smile. That strength can also be silence. That being alive is not the same as living with dignity.
It’s time we asked ourselves: Why is this so? Why do we allow those who gave the most to end up with the least?
It is not enough to admire their strength. We must demand better care, real policies, and national conversations about aging with dignity. Not just for today’s elders, but for ourselves too. Because one day, we will be them.
Let’s start by caring. Let’s start by speaking. Let’s start by building a Nigeria where growing old is not a curse.
