By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has called on families and communities across Nigeria to strengthen support systems for older persons and ensure that senior citizens continue to live with dignity, relevance and access to adequate social security.
Tinubu made the call in her message to mark the 36th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons, observed globally on Thursday, 1 October, 2026, with the theme, “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives.”
She said the occasion should remind Nigerians of their collective responsibility to ensure that older persons remain healthy, productive and dignified, stressing that they should not be abandoned, ignored or excluded from family and community life.
According to her, senior citizens remain custodians of invaluable wisdom and experience, which should be recognised and preserved for the benefit of younger generations and society at large.
She urged families and communities to continue to value the counsel of older persons and learn from their experiences, while creating meaningful opportunities for them to participate actively in family and community affairs.
The First Lady also called for stronger systems that would enable Nigerians to age with dignity and remain relevant, with adequate social security measures put in place to support them.
She stressed the importance of ensuring that longevity is accompanied by dignity, inclusion and continued participation, rather than isolation or neglect.
Tinubu wished older persons across Nigeria and the world a happy International Day of Older Persons.
