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Athena Perspective Newsletter Global Life Expectancy- Evaluation of Nigeria’s SituationDownload
Introduction
Human life expectancy is a statistical measure that estimates the average remaining years of life at a given age. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth (LEB, or in demographic notation e0, where ex denotes the average life remaining at age x). This can be defined in two ways. Cohort LEB is the mean length of life at a birth cohort (in this case, all individuals born in a given year) and can be computed only for cohorts born so long ago that all their members have died. Period LEB is the mean length of life of a hypothetical cohort assumed to be exposed, from birth through death, to the mortality rates observed at a given year. National LEB figures reported by national agencies and international organizations for human populations are estimates of period LEB.
Human remains from the early Bronze Age indicate a LEB of 24. In 2019, the world LEB was 73.3. A combination of high infant mortality and deaths in young adulthood from accidents, epidemics, plagues, wars, and childbirth, before modern medicine was widely available, significantly lowers LEB. For example, a society with a LEB of 40 would have relatively few people dying at exactly 40; most would die before 30 or after 55. In populations with high infant mortality rates, LEB is highly sensitive to the rate of death in the first few years of life.
Life expectancy is the average age of death in each country. Nigeria’s life expectancy is 54.6 years against the global average of 73.7 years (https://www.worldeconomics.com).
List of ten countries with the highest Life Expectancy
| Rank | Country | Life Expectancy (both sexes) | Females Life Expectancy | Males Life Expectancy |
| 1 | Hong Kong | 85.77 | 88.39 | 83.1 |
| 2 | Japan | 85 | 88.03 | 81.99 |
| 3 | South Korea | 84.53 | 87.4 | 81.44 |
| 4 | French Polynesia | 84.31 | 86.74 | 82.03 |
| 5 | Switzerland | 84.23 | 86.06 | 82.34 |
| 6 | Australia | 84.21 | 85.97 | 82.43 |
| 7 | Italy | 84.03 | 86.01 | 81.94 |
| 8 | Singapore | 84 | 86.48 | 81.53 |
| 9 | Spain | 83.96 | 86.59 | 81.27 |
| 10 | Réunion | 83.8 | 86.57 | 80.81 |
Source: (https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy)
List of ten countries with the lowest Life Expectancy
| Rank | Country | Life Expectancy (both sexes) | Females Life Expectancy | Males Life Expectancy |
| 191 | Niger | 61.66 | 62.66 | 60.69 |
| 192 | Burkina Faso | 61.47 | 63.62 | 59.28 |
| 193 | Benin | 61.14 | 62.61 | 59.68 |
| 194 | Guinea | 61.06 | 62.27 | 59.8 |
| 195 | Mali | 60.89 | 62.38 | 59.46 |
| 196 | Somalia | 59.11 | 61.7 | 56.63 |
| 197 | Lesotho | 58.22 | 60.87 | 55.44 |
| 198 | Central African Republic | 57.9 | 59.8 | 55.73 |
| 199 | South Sudan | 57.85 | 60.86 | 54.87 |
| 200 | Chad | 55.43 | 57.39 | 53.54 |
| 201 | Nigeria | 54.78 | 55.12 | 54.45 |
Source: ( https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy )
Life Expectancy in Nigeria vis-à-vis Global Context
In 2021, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) projected the life expectancy of Nigerian males to be 54 years and that of females to be 56 years (https://www.macrotrends.net).
In the year 2023, life expectancy in Nigeria was 61.79 years; 60 years for males and 64 years for females. Based on the 2024 life expectancy report, Nigeria’s life expectancy is estimated to be 54.6 years. Nigeria’s life expectancy has had a modest improvement in the past two decades (https://www.statista.com).
Nigeria’s life expectancy is below the global average of 73.7 years. In most countries, life expectancy of females is slightly higher than males. This is also the case with Nigeria where the life expectancy of females is 55.12 and males are 54.45. (https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy).
Reasons for decline in Nigeria’s Life Expectancy
1. High Disease burden: There is a very high disease burden in Nigeria. Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), Tuberculosis, and Malaria have led to significant mortality rates among children and youths.
2. Inadequate functional hospitals: There are some communities in Nigeria without well-equipped hospitals. Where they exist, most Nigerians are unable to afford treatment of illnesses such as malaria, etc. This can lead to complications of unimaginable proportions or even avoidable death.
3. Maternal mortality: The mortality rate in Nigeria is among the highest in the globe. No woman should die while giving life. Unfortunately, so many women have lost their lives during childbirth.
4. High cost of pharmaceutical products: Medicines are now very exorbitant and beyond the reach of ordinary people. As such, there are several counterfeit products; the prevalence of fake medicines, substandard, adulterated and illicit drugs have led to the death of many Nigerians.
5. Brain drain in the health sector: Presently there are so many government hospitals without the requisite consultants and professionals in various departments. Poor remuneration of health personnel has led to japa syndrome. As such, there is a dearth of qualified medical staff in most government hospitals.
6. Insecurity: Insurgency; kidnapping; assassinations, ritual killing, etc. have brought about a declining life expectancy in Nigeria.
7. Unemployment and underemployment: There are so many unemployed and underemployed Nigerians. The inability to cater to one’s need makes a person susceptible to diseases which can consequently result to avoidable death.
8. High cost of living: The astronomical level of inflation currently experienced in Nigeria is the reason for the high cost of living. Feeding well has become a luxury; so many persons find it difficult to feed; lack of balance diet causes malnutrition, stunted growth, and retarded brain development. Such individual becomes prone to diseases and death.
9. Environmental pollution: People living in an environment where there is exploration of crude oil, gas or mining of minerals are prone to varying degrees of illnesses.
According to Researchers from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago in the United States, air pollution is the main cause of very low life expectancy in Nigeria (https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com).
Lessons from Hong Kong
Hong Kong has the highest life expectancy in the year 2025. It is projected to be 85.6 years; females at 88.3 years and males at 83.1 years. This is higher than the global average of 73.7 years.
Hong Kong has an environment designed to help people live healthier lives and make healthier choices; it is ranked among the countries with the highest life expectancy in the world. The reasons are not farfetched; notably, reduced exposure to violence and conflict, advanced healthcare, better sanitation, higher standards of living, and access to quality education.
Geriatric is a priority in Hong Kong; equally, there is an emphasis on preventive healthcare strategies and quality medical care is accessible in every district. Health education campaigns, regular screenings for diseases, and promotion of healthy lifestyles have been policies of the government (https://www.alea.care/resources). These factors have reduced mortality rate and enhanced longevity.
Recommendation
There is a great need for the Nigerian state to adopt implementable policies that will enhance life expectancy so that the citizenry can enjoy good life and meaningful standard of living.
The government should be much more intentional in allocating needed resources in every facet of the health sector. This will curtail the high disease burden; reduce maternal mortality and eradicate certain diseases.
It is expedient for the government and corporate organizations to make meaningful and substantial investment in the health sector by erecting well funded medical research centers, construct adequate functional hospitals etc. This will reverse brain drain in the health sector and enhance proper remuneration of medical personnel.
Security is everyone’s responsibility. However, the primary reason for the existence of government is to guarantee security of life and property, and the welfare of citizens. The onus lies on the government to ensure adequate security in every part of Nigeria.
It is vital for the government to create conducive environment for business to thrive; the government should apply realistic economic models and rejig their economic policies so as to bring down inflation from double digit. There should be price control so as to check exploitation and profiteering by unscrupulous traders.
Presently, Nigeria still has poor rating with respect to ease of doing business. This situation discourages investors; as such, the menace of unemployment transmogrifies. In an atmosphere of high level of unemployment, high crime rate is inevitable. Equally, life expectancy will decline.
There should be proper planning of towns and cities such that crude oil exploration sites and mining sites would be remote from residential areas. Environmental pollution should be reduced to the barest minimum.
Conclusion
Out of 201 countries enumerated, Nigeria has the lowest life expectancy. This is shameful and unacceptable. It is obvious that the government either wittingly or otherwise has failed woefully in discharging its responsibility of guaranteeing the security of life and property, and the welfare of its citizens. All the reasons for decline in life expectancy are hinged on the failure of the Nigerian government to carry out its responsibility.
There should be deliberate government policy aimed at reversing this ugly destructive trend.
AUTHOR
EJIMONU EMMANUEL, PhD
VISITING FELLOW
ATHENA CENTRE FOR POLICY AND LEADERSHIP