Omokaro, who is a gerontologist, gave the advice in Abuja.
She described family as a starting point in caring for the elderly and thereby needs to be strong financially in order to cater for them.
``The primary source of income support is still family transfer by adult children, who have been compromised due to lack of jobs and many still in the rural areas,’’ said the expert.
She said that the elderly are increasing in number, thereby government need to establish more primary healthcare centres and social development system to care for the elderly.
According to her, the aged have right to development, access healthcare as well as right to social security.
Omokaro said that the family system was still weak and charged the government to strengthen the family by providing sustainable jobs for youths.
She stated that the census of the aged, including the ones that are childless and the ones without family was important in order to care for them.
The director said that the ones with family, no matter how often they were catered for, still required aiding by the government.
Omokaro said that when these measures were put in place, it would help in building family support system as well as the society at large.
She recalled that from the National Population Council data, the number of old people is increasing annually, which necessitated care for them.
``We moved gradually from 4.5 million in 1991 to 6.7, 7.7 and 8.2 million and by 2020, it may increase to 10 million and 2025, about 25 million.
``No one is sure, by 2050, it may have gone higher to about 29 million.
``The aged population is growing faster, by the time we are in 2055, we will have about 70 million youths and they will move into demographic transition,’’ said Omokaro.
Besides, she urged government to develop programmes that would sustain and manage the aged for sustainable and equal development in the country.
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