The Visioner and Founder of the Handlifters Praying Group, Pastor Chinyere Adegboye, has called on governments across Africa to prioritise the care, dignity and strategic inclusion of senior citizens, describing them as "the wisdom table of the nation".
She made the call during the Handlifters Praying Group's annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Outreach held at Winiseph Care Home in Lagos.
The group celebrated Christmas with the elderly through worship, dancing, prayers and a fully catered buffet.
Delivering a keynote address titled The Role of Senior Citizens in the Rebuilding of the African Continent, Pastor Adegboye emphasised that Africa's future cannot be secured by erasing its past.
"A continent that sidelines its elders undermines its own sustainability. The restoration of senior citizens to strategic relevance is both a divine mandate and a developmental necessity," she said, citing Jeremiah 6:16:
"Ask for the ancient paths... and you will find rest for your souls."
She stressed that no nation succeeds without the wisdom of the aged, noting that many senior citizens are parents of today's leaders: presidents, governors, senators and policymakers, yet are often neglected due to modern pressures.
"They are not beggars; they are our senior citizens. One day, every one of us will grow old. Government must move beyond sympathy to structured policies, institutions and sustainable care systems for the aged," she said.
Pastor Adegboye explained that the outreach was undertaken in obedience to a divine instruction. While the group served the less privileged at Cane Village in Maryland in 2024, she said God specifically directed them in 2025 to partner with Winiseph Care Home.
"We came to eat with them, dance with them, celebrate them and dignify them. Some of our seniors here are 90, 95, even 99 years old, and they were dancing with joy. Honour restores strength," she said.
She added that the programme was carefully designed to meet the seniors' standards, with professional decorations, quality catering and a short, precise and spirit-sensitive exhortation, mindful of residents living with dementia.
Despite the success of the outreach, she appealed for greater support, noting that funding remains a major challenge.
"We need compassionate Nigerians, Africans and institutions, especially the government, to partner with us. Caring for the elderly is not charity; it is nation-building," she said.
The matron of Winiseph Care Home, Deaconess Modupe Robinson, disclosed that the home was founded 15 years ago by Dr Kofo Odusote, evolving from a day-care centre into a full-care facility with more than 30 residents.
She explained that many of the residents are medically and physically challenged, including stroke and dementia patients, and commended the Lagos State Government for its regulatory support and occasional financial assistance.
Commending the Handlifters Praying Group, Robinson said: "If I were to score them, I would give them almost 90 per cent. Their message was short, restorative and perfectly suited for our residents. They were calm, joyful and fully engaged."
Also speaking, Pastor John Adegboye, husband of Pastor Chinyere Adegboye, described the outreach as a mission of compassion.
"We came to let the elderly know they are not abandoned, not forgotten -- by God or by people. We encourage churches, organisations and individuals to intentionally touch lives," he said.