Abstract

Aging is an important issue in many countries of the world. This is largely attributed to the advancement in healthcare services as well as improvement in socioeconomic conditions in most parts of the world. Similarly, middle and low-income nations including Nigeria are experiencing an increase in the number of older adults. Nigeria holds the highest population of older adults in Africa, and the population of older adults will continue to increase in the future. This chapter discusses aging in the Nigerian context. The traditional and contemporary care systems for older adults will be discussed as well as the challenges experienced by Nigerian older adults. Some of the challenges of Nigerian older adults would be reduced if they are mainstreamed into the welfare policies of the country. Also, the non-professionalization of social work in Nigeria affects the care to older adults. We recommend government interventions through effective policies that address the welfare of the sub-population and grant legal backing to the professionalization of social work in Nigeria.