9.62m Nigerians are aged 60 years and above –NBS

The total number of older people, that is those aged 60 years and above, went up slightly from 8.74 million in 2013 to 9.62 million in 2016.

The Demographic Statistics Bulletin 2017 released recently by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that in Nigeria, the number of the aged population is on the rise and this means the rate of dependency on younger population will also rise unless adequate retirement plans are put in place.

Ageing is simply a continued increase in age; it is one important demographic indicator that has no specific or easily adoptable definition.

“Great transformations usually occur in societies where there is preponderance of young, active and vibrant people but where older people are more in number, then significant challenges do exist, primarily, in ensuring that adequate living conditions throughout the extended life span are well managed,” the report stated.

The data, which NBS compiled from the National Population Commission (NPC), indicated that Nigeria recorded 1.8 per cent increase in the male ageing population between 2013 and 2014 compared to 1.4 per cent increase in the female ageing population between 2013 and 2014.

In Nigeria, both women and men are regarded and treated as elderly on getting to age 60 years and above.

The NPC also disclosed that as at 2016, Nigeria had an estimated population of over 193 million, annual population growth rate of 3.2 per cent and this growth rate double that of the aged population of about 1.5 per cent.