- Veteran actress Ajai Lycett stated that the Nigerian youth are fond of referring to the aged as “Old School”, which she described as a lack of respect for the elderly.
- She advised the youth on how to respect the elderly and make efforts to learn from their wealth of experience in all life issues.
83-year-old Ajai-Lycett urges the younger generation to refrain from labeling the elderly as ‘old school’, emphasizing the irrelevance and unfairness of such categorizations.
Taiwo Ajai-Lycett thanked God on Saturday for reaching the age of 83 and exhorted the youth to embrace the African culture of respect.
Ajai-Lycett, made the suggestion in a telephone conversation with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
She claimed that the younger generation likes to call the elderly “Old School,” which she said showed disrespect for the old.
However, she gave the younger generation advice on how to respect and learn from the old, emphasizing that they had a wealth of knowledge to offer on many aspects of life.
“Yes, I am 83 years old today and I give glory to God. I begin to see 80 as 60, we have a lot of work to do, it is a stage of life that one needs to continue to give back to society, share and help others. I will say aluta continua, the struggle continues.
“I hear many of our youths calling the aged, old school, this is wrong, the youth should be ready at all times to respect and learn from the elderly.
The experiences and life lessons the elderly have been able to garner over the years should be relayed to the youth to make them better individuals.
“So, today I will advise the youth to learn from us and respect us, there is a lot to be tapped from the elderly,” she said.
Additionally, Ajai-Lycett expressed her gratitude for God on her Instagram profile on her birthday.
She wrote: “This is 83. I give God so much thanks for keeping me healthy and wealthy.
“Since “Time Flies” is a true and humbling statement, I have learned over the years to just accept my age and cherish every second.
“As you get older, you encounter individuals from many walks of life, have life-altering experiences, you’ll cherish your loved ones more and you’ll develop patience and understanding.
Beautiful people, experience life, be present, let go of things you cannot control, spend time with the people you love and never stop telling them you love them.
“Don’t wait until you are old to realise this. Really, there’s nothing significant to consider in life except the joy of life. So live. Happy Birthday to me ❤️.”
Ajai-Lycett is a highly regarded international actress with over 50 years of experience in film, stage, and television.
She made her début in 1967 at the UK’s Avant Garde, Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, London.
She later studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the City Literary Institute, the Dance Centre, and the Actors’ Studio in London.