NIGERIA’S latest ranking as the country with the world’s lowest life expectancy should trouble the conscience of every citizen and prompt the government to take urgent action. According to the United Nations’ 2025 Global Health Report, Nigerians now live an average of just 54.9 years, a figure that places the nation below all others in the world. The statistic represents not just a number but a reflection of the deeper social, economic, and health crises that have become entrenched in the fabric of the country.
The data paints a grave picture. Nigerian men live an average of 54.3 years, while women barely fare better at 54.9 years. These figures are far below Africa’s continental average and less than three-quarters of the global benchmark of 73.7 years. Even countries like Chad and the Central African Republic, which have long struggled with internal conflicts and poverty, surpass Nigeria, recording life expectancies of 55.2 and 57.7 years, respectively. This reality should serve as a wake-up call to both policymakers and citizens that Nigeria is standing on a dangerous precipice, one where survival, rather than prosperity, has become the defining measure of life.
More disheartening is the stagnation reflected in the trend. In 2019, Nigeria’s average life expectancy was about 55 years, ranking it the third lowest in the world. Six years later, instead of progress, the country has slipped further behind, overtaken by nations that were once in similar or worse conditions. This lack of improvement underscores the systemic failures that have come to define Nigeria’s governance, poor healthcare delivery, policy inconsistency, insecurity, and economic hardship.
Experts have linked Nigeria’s dismal life expectancy to a convergence of long-standing issues: persistent health system collapse, inadequate funding, and a chronic shortage of medical infrastructure. Hospitals are under-equipped, rural areas remain neglected, and medical personnel continue to flee the country in droves, seeking better opportunities abroad. The recurring strikes by healthcare workers further cripple access to services, leaving millions of Nigerians to rely on unregulated traditional medicine or self-medication, both of which carry grave risks.
Beyond the healthcare sector, the social environment in which Nigerians live is itself hostile to longevity. Rampant poverty, unemployment, and hunger continue to wear down citizens physically and mentally. The average Nigerian is caught in a cycle of economic struggle that leaves little room for preventive healthcare, balanced nutrition, or mental well-being. Insecurity adds yet another layer of despair, from insurgency in the North-East to banditry in the North-West, kidnappings in the South, and communal clashes in the Middle Belt. These conditions have driven thousands away from their farmlands, disrupted livelihoods, and created an atmosphere of chronic anxiety.
Environmental degradation and pollution have also played their part. Oil spills in the Niger Delta, open waste disposal, and unsafe drinking water have become silent killers, especially among children. According to previous health studies, waterborne diseases, respiratory infections, and malnutrition are among the leading causes of death in Nigeria. The situation is worsened by weak public sanitation systems and the absence of robust public health awareness campaigns.
The UN report, therefore, is not just a critique of Nigeria’s health statistics but a damning verdict on its governance. Life expectancy is an aggregate measure of the quality of life, encompassing healthcare, economy, education, and security. A nation that cannot assure its citizens of longevity has failed in its most fundamental duty. Nigeria’s current position implies that millions of children born today are statistically unlikely to see their 60th birthday unless urgent, transformative reforms are implemented.
We, therefore take exception to this. The Federal and State Governments must now treat this issue as a national emergency. The time for rhetoric is long past. While the data may appear harsh, it offers an opportunity for self-reflection and redirection. Governments at all levels must prioritise healthcare investment by strengthening their primary healthcare systems, improving medical infrastructure, and ensuring consistent funding for preventive and curative health services. Insecurity must be tackled head-on, not just with force, but through policies that restore livelihoods and hope to displace communities. Environmental protection must no longer be a token agenda but a deliberate strategy for national health sustainability.
The government cannot ignore that life expectancy reflects the sum of all its policies or the failure thereof. It must rise to the challenge, because the true measure of a nation’s progress lies not in its wealth or resources, but in the quality and longevity of the lives it swore to protect.
