Old people's homes in Lagos: the list, the costs, and the alternative

Why families look for an old people's home

Most families who search for an old people's home in Lagos are not looking to abandon anyone. Usually the children have moved abroad or across the country, a helper has left, and the parent who stayed is struggling alone, sometimes after a stroke or with growing confusion. One mother quoted in the Nigerian press put it simply: at her age, she could not be sleeping alone in a big house.

There are fewer homes in Lagos than many people expect, and the ones that exist vary widely. Below are the homes we could check against their own websites or reputable news reports, as of October 2026. If a home is not listed, it does not mean it is bad, only that we could not verify it.

The Lagos State Government old people's home in Yaba

The best-known home is the Lagos State Government Old People's Home on Lancaster Road, Sabo, Yaba. It is run by the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development and is the home most people mean when they search for "old people's home Yaba".

What is known about it comes mostly from news reports, and the figures are not recent:

• In 2010 it had 40 residents against a capacity of 50, and a new block of 14 bedrooms (Daily Trust).
• In 2019 it had 80 residents, cared for by 15 medical staff and social workers, and had cared for over 200 people in about 30 years (BusinessDay).
• In 2019 BusinessDay reported that the home accepted people aged 60 and over, including people with stroke, blindness, amputation, deafness or high blood pressure, but did not take people with severe life-threatening conditions or anyone with a relative living in Lagos.

In other words, the government home is mainly for older people with nobody to look after them. If your parent has family in Lagos, they may not qualify. The admission rules, how to apply and whether there are any charges are not published online, so contact the Ministry of Youth and Social Development directly to confirm them.

Lagos State has also announced plans for more centres. Vanguard reported in 2022 that a centre in Epe was under construction, with others proposed for Alimosho and Badagry.

Church and charity homes

The Holy Family Home for the Elderly is run by Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Olosha, Mushin, and was founded in 1982. In 2018 the Tribune reported 11 residents aged 87 to 92, with a Catholic sister as matron. The home relies on donations and takes both older people placed by their families and older people with no home. Its matron told the Tribune: "The family unit has broken down. We no longer practice the extended family system."

The Thani-Oladunjoye Old People's Care Centre at 65 Owode Street, Epe, opened in 2022 as a family philanthropy. The Guardian described consulting rooms, a pharmacy and relaxation areas. From the report it appears to serve as a day and medical centre for older people, so ask whether it offers residential places before you plan around it.

Private care homes and assisted living

These private homes describe their services on their own websites. We have no business relationship with any of them.

• Rockgarden Homes, 191/193 Okeletu-Ijede Road, Elemu, Ikorodu. Offers independent living, assisted living and nursing care, with dementia care as an extra. Its website says it is government approved and regulated.
• MASC Care Home (Marian Akintola Senior Citizen Care Home), 29 Santos Avenue, Abule-Egba, Ifako-Ijaiye. A residential home offering stroke and dementia support.
• Tranquil and Quest Elder Care Assisted Living Program, Igbo Efon, Lekki. Residential assisted living with dementia care, run by a behavioural health provider.
• Elderly Home Care Solutions (elderly.com.ng), 3 Oki Lane, Mende, Maryland. Offers residential assisted living, short respite stays and dementia care.
• Winiseph Care Home, Omole Phase I, was named by BusinessDay in 2019 among private care homes in Lagos.

Several other names appear on online lists of Lagos care homes. When we checked, some turned out to be advocacy groups, home care agencies or homes in other states, so always confirm a home exists and visit before paying anything.

What an old people's home in Lagos costs

Very few homes publish their prices. The fullest public price list we found is Rockgarden Homes' own, which lists:

• Independent or retirement living: ₦1,050,000 a quarter
• Assisted living: ₦1,350,000 a quarter
• Nursing care: ₦1,950,000 a quarter
• Dementia care: ₦100,000 a month on top
• Wound care: about ₦50,000 a month on top

Rockgarden says its fees include accommodation, three meals a day, caregivers and nurses around the clock, and physiotherapy, but not medicines, incontinence products, hospital admissions or tests. Leadership newspaper reported fees at MASC Care Home of ₦180,000 a month, plus a ₦10,000 application form and a ₦20,000 medical test, with diapers and medicines extra. That report is from around 2023.

Prices change, so ask every home for its current fees in writing, and ask exactly what is and is not included. Medicines, diapers, hospital bills and transport to appointments can add a lot to the monthly cost.

Who regulates care homes in Lagos

Lagos State's Ministry of Youth and Social Development runs the government home in Yaba and oversees social welfare homes in the state. Separately, the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) registers health facilities in Lagos, including private nursing and convalescent homes, which must have a registered nurse and at least one staff nurse for every ten beds.

Ask any home which body it is registered with, and ask to see the certificate. A home that provides nursing care should be able to show that its nurses hold a current licence from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

At national level, the National Senior Citizens Centre, set up by an Act of 2017, works on policy for Nigerians aged 60 and over. It does not license care homes.

Questions to ask when you visit a home

Visit at least once without warning, ideally at a mealtime, and talk to residents and their families if you can. Then ask:

• How many residents are there, and how many staff are on duty at night?
• Is a nurse on site day and night, and is a doctor on call?
• Who gives the medicines, and how is each dose recorded?
• What happens if my parent falls ill at night? Which hospital do you use, and who pays for the ambulance?
• How do you prevent falls and pressure sores?
• Can my parent bring their own things, and keep their own routines, food and church or mosque?
• How often will you update the family, and can we visit at any time?
• Which body are you registered with?
• What exactly do the fees cover, and how much notice do you need if we leave?

Trust your instincts on the visit. Notice whether the home smells clean, whether residents look cared for and occupied, and how staff speak to them.

Is a home the right choice?

In Nigeria, placing a parent in a home still carries stigma. Many people see it as "dumping" a parent, and many older people would rather stay in their own house. In 2019 a former Lagos commissioner told BusinessDay: "People don't have time for their old parents and we don't want to leave them to the mercy of domestic helps."

A good home can be the right choice, especially for a parent who needs nursing care day and night, or who is very lonely at home. But it is not the only choice, and it is often not what the parent wants. Before you decide, ask your parent, their doctor and the rest of the family, and weigh up the alternatives.

• A home suits a parent who needs round-the-clock nursing, has nobody nearby, or wants company and is willing to move.
• Care at home suits a parent who wants to stay in their own house, near their church, neighbours and routines, and whose needs can be met with daily visits or a live-in caregiver.

The alternative: care in your parent's own home

Care at home means a trained caregiver comes to your parent, either for a few hours a day or living in, while a registered nurse oversees their health. It keeps your parent in familiar surroundings, and it can be arranged around what they actually need rather than a fixed package.

This is what Home Care Nigeria does. Our caregivers are checked before they start, a named registered nurse reviews and signs every visit report, and the whole family can read the reports online from anywhere. If a caregiver does not arrive for a shift, we are alerted within an hour and arrange cover. Our guide to finding a caregiver you can trust in Lagos explains the checks that matter, whoever you use.

Common questions