AS Nigerians join the rest of the world to mark this year’s Mental Health Day, the 2025 theme — “Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies” — resonates deeply with the nation’s realities.
In a country battling conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and long-standing deficits in mental health infrastructure, the day offers a timely opportunity to reflect, reexamine, and recommit to scaling up mental health services for the most vulnerable.
“Mental health awareness in Nigeria is growing, but gaps remain wide,” Saadatu Adamu, founder of Secure the Future Initiative (SDF), told The ICIR.
She said Nigeria is still at that awareness space, hence the need to continue to create awareness is very important stressing that cultural misconception is key.
Adamu argues that stigma, misunderstanding, and lack of literacy around mental health keep many silent.
“When you talk about mental health, people still misinterpret it, forgetting that mental health is our daily drive,” she said.
She called on media, education systems, and community networks to help normalise conversations and remove barriers to seeking care.
In official circles, there is recognition of the need for greater commitment. Grace Ogunleye, Assistant Director, Ministry of Health, described World Mental Health Day as a “vital reminder of the urgent need to make mental health a national priority.”
She emphasised that Nigeria has made strides — including the passage of the National Mental Health Act (2021) and establishment of a national suicide prevention framework — but much work remains to translate law into accessible services.
Ogunleye added that the World Mental Health Day serves as a vital reminder of the urgent need to make mental health a national priority in Nigeria.
“It provides an opportunity to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and advocate for stronger policies and investment in mental,” she stated.
A look at what data says
A stark illustration of Nigeria’s mental health burden comes from the Federal Ministry of Health’s National Mental Health Programme. In May 2025, its coordinator revealed that nearly 30 per cent of Nigerians experience a mental health condition in their lifetime.
He noted that the treatment gap exceeds 80 per cent, meaning the vast majority of those affected do not receive professional support.
Similarly, in June, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said over 3 million Nigerians suffered from drug use disorders.
This was disclosed by the UNODC’s Country Representative, Cheikh Ousman Toure, at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, while declaring weeklong activities to commemorate this year’s World Drug Day.
He was represented by the Deputy Head of UNODC in Nigeria, Danilo Campisi.
He put the national drug use prevalence at 14.4 per cent, nearly three times the global average. The organisation added that the abuse of opioids, especially tramadol, had reached alarming levels.
According to the UNODC, the situation is not just a health crisis; it is a development, security, and peace-building concern.
The organisation highlighted the link between drug trafficking and other crimes, including human trafficking, illegal mining, and environmental destruction, noting that the illicit drug trade often finances violent extremist groups
Need for action
Rural areas and marginalised communities are particularly underserved, with few psychiatrists and mental health facilities located in these zones.
This year’s theme draws attention not just to these preexisting gaps but to how they are exacerbated in times of crises.
In Nigeria’s northeast, prolonged conflict has displaced thousands, many of whom carry psychological scars from trauma, grief, loss, and insecurity.
Beyond conflict, Nigeria also faces climate-related disasters like flooding, erosion and seasonal storms that has displaced communities and leave mental health consequences in their wake.
In those moments, experts say, the need for psychological first aid, crisis counselling, and access to ongoing care becomes acute.
But in many affected areas, health facilities are damaged or inaccessible, and trained mental health professionals have been displaced as well
To tackle mental health issues in emergencies, access must include crisis training, mental health literacy programs, and bridging referral systems so that people in distress do not fall through the cracks.
Children, older persons, people with pre-existing mental conditions, women and girls, persons with disabilities, and frontline workers require special attention.
Nigeria’s displacement settings, in particular, call for tailored interventions: for instance, trauma counselling in camps, safe spaces for survivors, child-friendly psychosocial activities, and referral pathways for severe cases.
In urban centres too, crises such as sudden job loss, public health emergencies, or community violence trigger mental stressors. The mental health system must be prepared not only for large-scale disasters but for everyday emergencies.
Hope not enough
There are glimmers of hope. Some nongovernmental actors and private initiatives like the International Red Cross, Secure the Future Foundation and others are piloting community mental health services, peer support models, and digital counselling platforms.
Yet, sustainable progress depends on stronger public sector investment. Nigeria’s mental health allocations remain low. To close the treatment gap, government must do more and infrastructure, training, medicines, supervision, referral networks, and consistent supply chains must improve experts say.
World Mental Health Day 2025 also provides an advocacy entry point. Observers say Media houses, civic groups, religious institutions, and schools can help to promote messages that challenges stigma and misinformation.
Some say the voices of people with experience must be included to show that recovery is possible and help is not shameful.
“On this day, Nigeria must remember that mental health is not a luxury but an integral part to human dignity, social stability, and national development,” an analyst said.
In crisis settings and everyday life alike, dignified mental health care should be viewed as essential infrastructure.
