AgeWell CareLink Sets Agenda for Technology-Driven Senior Care in Africa

By Salami Adeyinka

Nigeria is poised for a significant shift in the care landscape for its ageing population as AgeWell CareLink, a digital and community-driven eldercare ecosystem, launches officially on November 20, 2025, in Akure, Ondo State.

The event, themed “Caring Forward – Building an Integrated Care System for the Older Generation in Nigeria and Beyond,” is positioned as a sector-defining forum uniting policy leaders, healthcare experts, investors, and families to reimagine ageing on the continent.

Driving this movement is the convener, Olayinka Aremu (née Ebisemiju), an Assistant Professor of Nursing in Ireland and Doctoral Researcher, whose years of professional caregiving abroad made the gaps in Nigeria’s elder-support systems painfully clear.

Her founding motivation traces back to the struggle of coordinating reliable care for her 75-year-old mother from thousands of miles away. “That experience changed everything. It reminded me that while I was caring for other people’s parents, I couldn’t find a system that supported mine. AgeWell CareLink was born from that pain, from research, and from the realisation that Africa urgently needs evidence-based, person-centred systems of care.”

She noted that the structural deficiencies facing older Nigerians are no longer sustainable. “It is both heartbreaking and disappointing. Those who have invested their lives in others are now left to face old age alone. Our system was never built to support them at their most vulnerable and that must change. AgeWell CareLink is our response, our reform, and our promise.”

The platform aims to close the care gap through a digital-health-enabled model that connects older adults, families, and verified care professionals. Key features include AI-assisted assessments, telehealth consultations, home- and community-based services, family care dashboards, wellness kits, workforce empowerment programmes, and a future pipeline of integrated care hubs across Nigeria and Africa.
The conference will host high-level leaders championing health system transformation. Professor Oluwatoyin Musa of the University of Abuja will deliver the keynote address. Other speakers include Dr. Alonge, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Ondo State; Hon. Omoyofunmi Segun, Commissioner for Youth and Sports; and Mrs. Mary Aliu, Director of Nursing Services, Ondo State Ministry of Health.

Royal Fathers of the Day expected at the event include the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi; the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II); and His Imperial Majesty Oba Frederick Akinruntan, the Olugbo of Ugbo Land. Senior government officials, women leaders, pension authorities, and community stakeholders are also slated to attend.

A major highlight will be the unveiling of the AgeWell CareLink Advisory Board chaired by Professor Amanda Phelan, Professor of Ageing and Community Health in Ireland. “AgeWell CareLink is the right initiative at the right time. It merges research with compassion, builds bridges between technology and care, and redefines ageing not as decline but as continuity.”

A live AgeWell Care Expo will demonstrate the platform’s digital tools, allowing attendees to complete AI-driven assessments, connect with care providers, and access free onboarding. Older persons will also receive health checks including blood pressure, glucose and mobility screenings with selected seniors receiving Smart Care Packages containing wellness kits and digital monitoring devices.

The event also witness commissioning of Care Action Ambassadors and the inauguration of the Elders in Care Council, a distinguished body of community leaders charged with advising and advocating for older persons nationwide.