Narratives on old age and ageing in this part of the world are bedevilled with painful apprehension, panic, despair and resignation to misfortune. These challenges are also signs and symptoms of societal deficiencies like infant mortality and youth unemployment They are clear signs that society is failing in its responsibilities. They all need immediate remedies through New Policy Directions.

1. THE THIRD LIFE OPTION:
ALTERNATIVE POLICY DIRECTION FOR
SUCCESSFULAGEING IN NIGERIABY
TANKO AHMED fwc
Retired Senior Fellow, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru-Jos
08037031744 - ta_mamuda@yahoo.com - tkmamuda100@gmail.com

2. A Keynote Address Presented at
the 1st National Conference on
Gerontology
Conference Theme:
Creating an Aging Policy Directions
Towards Successful Ageing in
Nigeria

3. • A Keynote Address or Lead Paper is the
basic Prayer of any conference IN which
specific issues are tabled for
consideration
• This paper focuses on the theme
‘Creating an Ageing Policy Directions
Towards Successful Ageing in Nigeria’
• It discusses the challenges of Old Age
and Ageing in Nigeria and the way to go
in Policy Directions

4. My Modest Contributions
• Knowledge in the field of study - Policy and
Strategic Studies
• Skills as a retired Senior Fellow from the
National Institute for Policy and Strategic
Studies (NIPSS), Kuru-Jos
• Experience in career line of 33 years of
service with NIPSS
• Participatory age of 66 years in Old Age and
Ageing.

5. Opening Quotes
“Life is the art of drawing without eraser, so be careful
while taking any small decisions about valuable pages
of life”
John W. Gardner
“There are six myths about old age, that it is a disease,
a disaster. We are mindless, sexless, useless,
powerless, [and] that we are all alike”
Maggi Kuhn
“Do not regret growing older. It’s a privilege denied to
many”
Unknown
“Age is simply the number of years the world has been
enjoying you – and you are timeless”
Unknown

7. A Prologue
• Narratives on old age and ageing in this part
of the world is bedeviled with painful
apprehension, panic, despair and resignation
to misfortune.
• These challenges are also signs and
symptoms of societal deficiencies like infant
mortality and youth unemployment
• They are clear signs that society is failing in
its responsibilities
• They all need immediate remedies through
New Policy Directions

8. The Approach
• This paper deliberately veers away from
helpless approach into seeing the brighter
sides, by viewing life as a progressive
process
• It sees life as moving from one point to
another in advancement and improvement for
both the individual and the larger society
• It looks into the nature of policy formulation in
general; suggests new directions; and the
way forward.

9. If Care would be Taken at the Beginning

10. Of Age and Ageing
• Age is the length of existence, time,
development level, generational scale,
or duration.
• Human history is usually measured and
expressed in terms of years, stages or
phases of life, legal grading, bio-social
level, or state of living.
• They are based on potential lifespan,
adaptability, capacity and roles played
by the individual societal expectations

11. What is Old Age and Ageing?
•Abdul Wahab Pathath (2017) of the
King Faisal University, KSA explains
four main different types.
•They include biological, psychological,
functional and social categories

12. Types of Old Age and Ageing
Biological Aging
Potential Life Span
Psychological Aging
Adaptive capacity
Functional Aging
Level of Capacities
Social Aging
Roles played

13. Theories of Aging
Stochastic Theories
Resultant Living
Programmed Theories
Genetic Programming
The Neuroendocrine Theories
Neuroendocrine Wear and Tear
The Membrane Theory
Cells and Tissue changes
The Hayflick Limit Theory
Cells multiplication limitation
The Mitochondrial Decline
Wining Energy Cycle
The Cross-Linking
Sugar Conversion process

14. A Theoretical Framework
• No one theory is supported by sufficient evidence
to be viewed as conclusive.
• The best scientific guess at present is that aging
is caused by several different mechanisms and
results from a complex interplay between
environmental and genetic factors (Pathath,
2017:22).
This Paper suggests the Third-Life Theory which is
simply based on Life Stages

15. The Third Life Theory of Old Age and Ageing
The Third Life theory of ageing holds that life
may be inconclusive, but could also be
consolidative at apportioned stages including:
1. The Preparatory stage in which the
individual is being prepared for the role to
play in society;
2. The Participatory stage is contributory,
through work, career or any calling; and
3. The Consolidatory stage of life after
retirement which may still be functional

16. Justification for the Third Life Theory
• In the Third Life Theory (TLT) we have the
four typologies of old age and ageing.
• Also, all the other seven theories are
intertwined into the multidisciplinary
theme of this conference; and
• The TLT provides for enhanced strategic
thinking, planning and management for
new Policy Directions

17. The Third Life Option
• The Third Life Option would facilitate a
systemic approach subject to conceptual and
theoretical framing in support of policy
formulation.
• Stakeholders to the Policy on Old Age and
Ageing must be inclusive through
collaboration, cooperation and coordination
in attaining set goals.

18. Old Age and Ageing in Nigeria
• African societies are primarily gerontocratic
in nature, where older people are bestowed
with authority and reverence.
• Unfortunately, there is no existing policy with
specific focus on old age and ageing in
Nigeria.
• Most public policies are weak and often un-
implementable, mainly due to lack of input
and ownership by stakeholders.

19. Challenges of Old Age in Nigeria

20. Policy Directions
• Academic or scholastic analysis of
public policies can only be justified
through innovative contributions to
thinking capacity of policy makers and
stakeholders at large.
• The Nigerian Policy Arena has not
changed much in the entire history of
the nation.
• It is therefore in a chronic state of
stagnation needing urgent remedies

21. Nature of Public Policy in Nigeria
• It is erratic, if not irrational, that it muddles
things up;
• It fails to be responsive to public demands
therefore hardly ever meets set goals;
• It lacks the essential attributes of openness,
inclusiveness, transparency, participation
and consultation; and
• It is essentially driven by officialdom, in the
sense that government officials both elected
and un-elected, arrogate to themselves the
wisdom, prerogative and expertise of
controlling and managing the policymaking
process. (Jega, 2003)

22. The Way Forward
The Conference need to come up with well-
defined and thought-out Communiqué.
There is need to improve the thinking
capacity, planning skills, and management
capabilities of policy makers and
stakeholders at large.
Policy makers, strategists and stakeholders to
adopt and conduct strong advocacy towards
policy formulation and implementation cycle.

23. In Conclusion
• The conference theme on new policy
directions for successful Ageing in Nigeria is
timely and desirable.
• Societal deficiencies indicate failure of
responsibilities to the old and ageing; and
require immediate attention by all and sundry.
• The TLT Option is accommodative of both the
individual and the larger society for mutual
benefits

25. References
Jega, A. M. (2003) Public policy and democratization.
Nigerian Journal of Policy and Strategy, 13(1&2),
December
Pathath, A. W. (2017) Theories of aging. The International
Journal of Indian Psychology, 4(3), 15-22, April-June.
Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_w_gardner_1616
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