Lifelong Learning and Active Ageing: A Theoretical Framework for Older Adults in Nigerian Urban Contexts

This study developed an original theoretical framework integrating lifelong learning and active ageing theories in the context of older adults in Nigerian urban centres, drawing on empirical research conducted in Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, and Kano. Population ageing in Nigeria, while occurring more slowly than in high-income countries, is generating a growing cohort of urban older adults whose lifelong learning needs and active ageing aspirations remain theoretically and programmatically neglected in national adult education discourse. The study employed a grounded theory methodology involving theoretical sampling across 88 individual interviews and 16 focus groups with adults aged 60 and above in the four cities, supplemented by interviews with 24 gerontological health and social welfare professionals. Constant comparative analysis and theoretical saturation guided data collection cessation. The emergent substantive theory, Purposeful Life Extension Learning, integrates active ageing theory's emphasis on health, participation, and security with lifelong learning theory's commitment to continuous development, proposing that older adult learning in Nigerian urban contexts is motivated primarily by the pursuit of meaningful purposefulness rather than either economic returns or leisure as dominant Western retirement learning theories suggest. The framework identifies four distinctive Nigerian urban older adult learner orientations: the Wisdom Transmitter, the Spiritual Deepener, the Adaptive Survivor, and the Civic Elder, each characterised by distinct learning motivations, preferred modalities, and programme implications. Original theoretical contributions substantially advance both active ageing and lifelong learning theory in African urban contexts. Keywords: lifelong learning, active ageing, older adults, theoretical framework, Nigerian urban contexts.