NHRC Trains Staff to Improve Response to Abuse of Older Nigerians
The National Human Rights Commission says it has trained staff to better identify and respond to abuse affecting older people in Nigeria.
The September 24 programme focused on recognising, documenting and investigating violations involving older persons.
NHRC identified physical and psychological abuse, financial exploitation, neglect and harmful traditional practices among the risks older Nigerians may face.
The commission did not provide national data showing how widespread elder abuse is or proving that it is increasing nationwide.
NHRC says older people are rights-holders
Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu said older persons are entitled to dignity, equality and protection under the law.
NHRC says abuse can remain hidden within families, communities and caregiving relationships, making it harder for victims to report what has happened or obtain help.
The commission wants staff to recognise such cases earlier and respond through investigation, advocacy and engagement with government institutions, civil society and communities.
It also says complaints involving older people should be handled through a rights-based approach.
Abuse may be hidden inside families
One challenge is that mistreatment of older people can be treated as a private family matter rather than a possible human-rights violation.
Older people who depend on relatives or caregivers for housing, food, money or healthcare may face additional barriers to reporting alleged abuse.
That dependence can make intervention and access to remedies more difficult.
The available NHRC material does not establish how frequently such abuse occurs nationwide.
Training is only part of the response
NHRC has also called for stronger protection mechanisms, better access to healthcare and social protection, and accountability where older people face abuse, neglect or exploitation.
It says older Nigerians should also be included in decisions affecting their lives.
Training staff may improve institutional response, but it does not by itself close wider protection gaps.
The key questions are whether older people can report abuse safely, whether complaints are investigated effectively and whether victims can obtain legal, health and social support when they need it.
The practical test will be whether abuses that previously went unreported or unaddressed are identified and acted upon.
