The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on the Federal Government to increase funding for mental healthcare, expand access to treatment, and strengthen legal safeguards against discrimination and rights violations affecting persons living with mental health conditions.
Marking World Mental Health Day in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, OFR, stressed that access to mental healthcare must be recognized as a fundamental human right rather than treated solely as a medical issue.
Ojukwu noted that mental health requires coordinated action among government institutions, healthcare professionals, civil society organizations, and development partners to ensure affected individuals receive proper care while being protected from abuse, neglect, and social exclusion.
Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Reality
Citing Article 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the NHRC chief reminded authorities that every individual is entitled to the best attainable state of physical and mental health.
While acknowledging legislative progress—specifically the National Mental Health Act of 2021 (assented to in December 2022), the National Mental Health Policy, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework—Ojukwu warned that these legal instruments will yield minimal impact without effective implementation and enforcement.
”A mental health condition does not reduce a person’s worth, dignity, or human rights,” Ojukwu said. “Nigeria cannot fully protect human dignity while people continue to suffer in silence or face discrimination because they require mental healthcare.”
Highlighting World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly one in seven people globally live with a mental disorder, he pointed out that fewer than 3% of Nigerians with mental health conditions are covered by health insurance. This lack of coverage imposes severe financial strains on vulnerable families.
Trauma from Conflict and Direct Interventions
The commission expressed deep concern over the psychological toll on Nigerians affected by terrorism, armed conflict, abductions, and displacement. Ojukwu stated that exposure to extreme violence leaves severe emotional wounds that impair daily functioning, relationships, and community integration.
To address these challenges, the NHRC has taken key internal measures:
In-House Support: Established a Counseling Unit at its headquarters to provide emotional support for both survivors of human rights violations and commission investigators handling traumatic cases.
Specialized Capacity: Created a Vulnerable Group Department and partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to integrate human rights principles into substance abuse treatment.
Strategic Planning: Collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to embed rights-based protections into the proposed National Mental Health Strategic Plan (2027–2032).
Direct Field Interventions: Rescued individuals with psychosocial disabilities subjected to inhuman conditions and illegal solitary confinement, notably in Kano State and the Federal Capital Territory.
Civil Society and Stakeholder Support
In a goodwill message, Ameh Zion, Founder of the Mandate Health Empowerment Initiative, echoed the NHRC’s calls, urging stakeholders to move beyond awareness campaigns toward state-level domestication and enforcement of the Mental Health Act.
Zion noted that WHO estimates place the global number of people living with mental health disorders at 1.2 billion, emphasizing that survivors of conflict and trauma must not lose their fundamental rights or dignity due to invisible wounds.
Ojukwu further urged religious and traditional leaders to complement—rather than replace—professional psychiatric care when specialized clinical intervention is required. He also called on media organizations to report on mental health responsibly, avoiding narratives that reinforce stigma and social rejection.
