Over the past three years, Nigeria has made significant strides in mental health policy and programmes, guided by Dr. Tunde Massey-Ferguson Ojo, psychiatrist and National Mental Health Programme coordinator. His guiding principle, “There is no health without mental health,” underpins a renewed national effort to integrate mental health into public health strategies. Key achievements include the replacement of the 2013 National Policy on Mental Health Service Delivery with the 2023 National Mental Health Policy, the development of the country’s first National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework, and the signing of the 2021 National Mental Health Act, which received presidential assent in December 2022. These initiatives provide a legal and strategic foundation for policy, governance, and suicide prevention efforts.
A major focus has been the decriminalization of attempted suicide, with a National Task Force working alongside the Office of the Attorney-General to finalize a draft amendment bill. Mental health is now being integrated into programmes on neglected tropical diseases, HIV, and WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP 3.0). To strengthen coordination, mental health units have been established in 27 out of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, ensuring leadership and oversight at the state level. These reforms aim to embed mental health across government and partner programmes.
Public awareness of mental health is improving, with increasing recognition that it is essential to overall well-being. However, stigma and discrimination remain significant barriers. Changing societal attitudes is crucial, as even well-resourced programmes cannot succeed without public understanding and acceptance.
Integrating mental health into emergency preparedness and response is a priority, especially given Nigeria’s high treatment gap, which ranges from 65% to 90% in low- and middle-income countries. In the northeast, over 3.2 million people have been displaced by conflict, creating urgent psychosocial needs. Nigeria has implemented WHO mhGAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide frameworks in these settings, but declining resources are limiting the scale of interventions. The goal is a responsive system that can be activated during humanitarian crises, epidemics, and pandemics.
Looking ahead, Nigeria aims to achieve universal health coverage that fully includes mental health, as currently fewer than 3% of people with mental health conditions are covered by health insurance. Decriminalizing attempted suicide is expected to improve access to care and strengthen data collection and surveillance. Mental health indicators will be incorporated into the National Health Management Information System, and a costed national mental health plan is being developed. Ultimately, Nigeria envisions a future where mental health is promoted from childhood, supported across sectors, addressed in schools, workplaces, and communities, and integrated into prevention and treatment programmes nationwide.
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