It is undeniable that several forms of discrimination exist in the labour market despite extant national and international laws. In Nigeria, factors like ethnicity, religion, gender, marital status, disability and age and are major prejudices that influence employment even when the educational and professional requirements are excellent. Among the several prejudices that affect the chances of employment, ageism is one that has become widespread and almost accepted as a norm.
Ageism is a significant issue affecting employment opportunities in Nigeria, particularly for older workers. It is also a societal problem that is deeply entrenched in Nigeria. The concept “Ageism” is seen as the stereotyping, prejudice or discrimination based on a person’s age.[1] It is a vicious cycle that stifles innovation, restricts social progress and denies employers the full right of their workforce.
Effects of Ageism on the Nigerian Employment
Many (both the aged and youth) in Nigeria, have faced discrimination in one way or the other in the labour market as a result of their age. The effects of ageism on Nigerian employment manifest in two ways. It is important to state that; ageism does not affect the aged ones only, but also affects the youths. Therefore, the first is how ageism affects the aged group and the second is how the youths are marginalized.
The Aged Group
One of the key ways that ageism affects Nigerian employment is through mandatory retirement ages. Employers often have predetermined retirement ages, which tend to be between 60 and 65 years old. This can mean that older workers are forced into retirement before they are ready, thereby creating financial and employment uncertainty. Many retirees in Nigeria are challenged to make ends meet because they are cut off from their primary source of monetary support, which often results in poverty for them and their families.
Moreover, ageism limits employment opportunities for older people. Employers frequently view older workers as being less productive or technologically competent than younger workers. Some employers assume that older people are not set in their ways, are inflexible, and are unlikely to adapt to changing job requirements. As a result, they lose the opportunity to fully utilize the years of knowledge, experience and skill that older workers bring to the workplace. In turn, older people are unable to leverage their contributions to society in ways that can improve the Nigerian economy.
There are several other ways that ageism manifests in Nigerian workplaces. One of them is the fear that older workers will outlast their younger colleagues, who are more likely to adapt to technological changes and have longer career spans. Another is gender-based ageism, which disproportionately affects older women, who are often pushed out of the workforce earlier than men. The result is that many retired women are unable to support themselves or their families.
Youth’s Marginalization
Despite the fact that the aged face all manner of discrimination and the youths are given more priority in the labour market, there are still certain spaces or positions that youth are not allowed or given less privilege to immerse. Such positions allow only the aged to occupy, especially, political positions. In Nigeria it is observed that almost 90 percent of political position are immersed by the aged. From 1999-2023 of the minister’s data in all the ministries, it was gathered that more than 95 percent of ministers are of the aged group whereas less than 5 percent of youth occupy such positions and other political positions. This indicates that the youths are been marginalized from political positions in Nigeria. With such discrimination, the youths are been deprived of their rights and which also reduces the rate of experiences of skills that is to be acquired as they are not exposed to such positions which in turn leads to poor economic growth in the country.
Effects of Youths Marginality
When young ones are marginalized, they tend to be poor and have little exposure to acquire more knowledge and training which in turns leads to lack of productive employment and may become socially and economically unassimilated[2]. And in a developing country like Nigeria where there is a widening gap in the standards of living of young people, social problems such as alcohol and drug use, cultism, kidnapping, sea piracy, and others are prone to occur. When the youths are not given job opportunities or are been marginalized, they go into different criminal activities to make ends meet, which will not only affect the economic growth of the country but will also lead to high risk of loss of lives and insecurity in Nigeria.
In other words, in Nigeria, the youths play a major role in its growth. Therefore, they need to be given opportunities in order to be productive in their different areas of specialization.
Why Nigerians Falsify Their Age
Most Nigerians do not have their original date of birth on their birth certificate. Many Nigerians falsify their age especially those who have an interest in working in the civil service space. This is in direct reaction to the challenge of ageism as employers now consider age as a basic requirement in most job openings even more than the educational and professional requirements of a job seeker. This is so because they believe that the young ones (fresh graduates) are more energized and productive than older ones.
Solutions
To address the problem of ageism in Nigerian employment, employers should begin by recognizing the value of what older workers bring to the workplace. Resources should be allocated to create a more age-friendly work environment, including measures like mentorship and skills-enhancement programs for older staff.
Employers should also demonstrate the willingness to explore alternatives to forced retirement and address gender-based age discrimination. By bridging the demographic divide between older and younger workers, employers can ensure the full realization of productivity and savings that comes with an inter-generational team.
Conclusion
Ageism is a pervasive societal problem that affects the Nigerian workforce. Employers should refocus their attention on creating culture-oriented environments that emphasize the value of older workers’ contributions. This may help provide equal opportunities for all people, regardless of age and may also reduce poverty and increase sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.
It is also important to implement already adopted measures to protect persons (both the aged and youths) and ensure the most vulnerable are not exposed to the ageism and age discrimination still prevalent in the society.
Written by
Eseimokumo Albert
Program Officer, BBFORPEACE
[1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ageism
[2] http://encyclopedia.uia.org/en/problem/138877