Federal Govt To Establish Mental Health Commission

Federal government is set to establish Mental Health Commission, following the passage of the 2023 Mental Health Act in January.

Senator Tony Nwoye who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during the Conversations Conference organised by a non-governmental organisation, Intersect Consortium, to commemorate World Mental Health Day, said the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria passed a bill that was signed into law in January 2023, tagged Mental Health Act which has replaced the old Lunacy Law.

He said, “ We are determined to come up with legislation that will give birth to Mental Health Commission. The sole aim of the Mental Health Commission is to cater for people with mental health.”

He said mental health disorders are ravaging the society ranging from depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders to others, adding that paucity of funds has made it difficult to get data of those living with mental health in Nigeria.

“The only problem our country has is paucity of funds and this paucity of funds makes it difficult to get accurate data of those living with mental health problem unlike in the United States of America where one out of 85 has mental health problem. There’s no data that shows how many people are living with various mental health disorders in Nigeria.”

Also, the minister of women affairs, Barr Uju Ohanenye said 80 per cent of frustrations in the country contribute to mental health disorders.

According to her, issues in the country today are enough to make one mad and that to address mental health issues,  there’s need to address the root causes.

She said, “The issues in the country today, including that of insecurity are enough to make one mad. So many youths are ready to die.

 They believe that they are better off dead than being alive to find themselves in such situation they’re in.”

In his remarks, the Kaduna State governor, Malam Uba Sani said the state was taking measures to address issues of mental health in a sustainable manner, adding that it was trying to mainstream it into routine hospital services in all the primary healthcare centres.

Sani who was represented by the state Commissioner for Education, said that the state government was setting up a committee charged with finding solutions to the growing cases of mental health in the state.