The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the Federal Government to increase funding for mental healthcare, expand health insurance coverage and enforce safeguards against the discrimination and abuse of persons living with mental health conditions, warning that existing laws and policies must translate into accessible services and tangible protection.
The commission also raised concerns over the growing mental health needs of Nigerians affected by terrorism, abductions, displacement, gender-based violence and other humanitarian emergencies, stressing that psychological trauma must be addressed as part of the country’s broader human rights response.
The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu, made the call in Abuja on Monday in his statement commemorating the 2026 World Mental Health Day.
Ojukwu said mental healthcare should not be treated exclusively as a medical issue but as a fundamental human rights obligation requiring coordinated action by government institutions, healthcare providers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
He cited Article 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which recognises the right of every individual to enjoy the best attainable state of physical and mental health, noting that the government had an obligation to protect this right and ensure access to appropriate medical attention.
The NHRC boss said although Nigeria had taken legislative and policy steps, including the National Mental Health Act and the National Mental Health Policy, implementation remained critical to protecting affected persons from neglect, exclusion and degrading treatment.
The National Mental Health Act was enacted in 2021 and received presidential assent in December 2022, establishing a legal framework for mental health services and the protection of the rights of people living with mental health conditions.
However, Ojukwu maintained that legislation alone would not address the challenges confronting millions of people without adequate investment in services, trained personnel and effective accountability mechanisms.
He cited World Health Organisation estimates that nearly one in seven people globally live with a mental disorder, noting that poverty, inequality, violence and disability could further worsen the burden and limit access to treatment.
Of particular concern, he said, was the affordability of mental healthcare in Nigeria, where fewer than three per cent of people with mental health conditions were reportedly covered by health insurance.
The limited coverage, according to him, leaves affected individuals and their families to shoulder much of the financial burden of treatment and related support services, further deepening the difficulties faced by vulnerable households.
Ojukwu warned that people experiencing mental health conditions continued to face stigma, discrimination, violence and exclusion from education, employment, housing and community life. Some, he added, were denied the opportunity to make decisions about their own lives or subjected to treatment that undermined their dignity and fundamental rights.
“A mental-health condition does not reduce a person’s worth, dignity or human rights,” he said, calling for a rights-based approach that recognises affected persons as individuals entitled to respect, equality and appropriate care.
He urged the Federal Government to expand affordable, accessible and community-based mental health services, particularly through their integration into primary healthcare centres, while strengthening health insurance coverage and recruiting, training and deploying more psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, psychiatric nurses and social workers.
The commission also called for the full implementation of the National Mental Health Act and Policy, alongside stronger mechanisms for investigating and preventing abuses in mental healthcare facilities.
Ojukwu said the needs were particularly urgent in communities affected by conflict, terrorism, abductions and displacement, where survivors of violence and serious human rights violations often experienced psychological distress that affected their relationships, daily functioning and participation in society.
He stressed that mental health and psychosocial support should form an integral part of interventions for survivors of conflict, torture, trafficking, gender-based violence and other forms of abuse.
As part of its response, the NHRC executive secretary disclosed that the commission had established a Counselling Unit at its headquarters to provide emotional support to people affected by human rights violations and traumatic experiences.
The unit, staffed by qualified counsellors, also supports commission personnel who experience emotional distress from handling difficult cases involving violence, abuse, loss and suffering.
He said the commission had further organised mental health and human rights training through its Human Rights Institute, particularly for investigation officers, to equip them with the skills to identify psychosocial concerns, respond appropriately to vulnerable complainants and recognise situations requiring professional intervention.
The establishment of the commission’s Vulnerable Group Department had also strengthened its capacity to address the rights and needs of vulnerable populations, including persons experiencing mental health challenges, he added.
Ojukwu disclosed that the NHRC was collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other stakeholders to integrate human rights considerations into the proposed National Mental Health Strategic Plan for 2027–2032.
He described the proposed five-year plan as an important development in the country’s mental healthcare framework, saying it was expected to provide a consolidated national direction for mental health interventions.
The commission had also participated in training organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on drug prevention, treatment and care, with particular attention to the links between substance use, mental health and human rights.
He said the engagement reinforced the NHRC’s position that drug-related challenges should be addressed through appropriate treatment, rehabilitation and psychosocial support rather than approaches that expose affected persons to further abuse.
The commission, he added, had partnered with the Taipei Trade Office and civil society organisations to provide grants and free mental health sessions to some indigent women who were victims of human rights violations.
Ojukwu also recounted interventions in Kano State involving children and adults with psychosocial and psychological disabilities who had been subjected to solitary confinement before being moved to a welfare facility following the commission’s intervention.
In another case in the Federal Capital Territory, he said the commission rescued a child from a woman living in what he described as an extremely distressing and inhuman condition linked to her mental state.
The cases, he said, illustrated the need for responses grounded in professional care, family support, protection and respect for human dignity rather than punishment, abandonment or abuse.
In a goodwill message, the Founder of the Mandate Health Empowerment Initiative, Ameh Zion, called for stronger implementation of Nigeria’s mental health legislation and greater collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations and development partners.
Zion described mental health as a human rights imperative, arguing that people experiencing depression, psychosis, trauma and psychosocial disabilities should not lose their fundamental rights because of their conditions.
He expressed concern over the shortage of trained professionals, inadequate services and persistent stigma, which he said continued to prevent many Nigerians from accessing effective care.
According to him, the psychological effects of terrorism, violence, displacement and abuse often leave survivors with invisible wounds, while families and caregivers struggle with emotional and financial pressures without sufficient institutional support.
Zion urged stakeholders to move beyond public awareness campaigns and ensure that existing laws and policies were implemented across the country, with clear responsibilities, measurable targets and accessible services.
He also expressed his organisation’s readiness to collaborate with the NHRC and African mental health reform stakeholders on public awareness, institutional capacity building, psychosocial support for survivors, referral pathways and policy advocacy.
Both speakers called on schools, workplaces, families and communities to create supportive environments where people could discuss mental health concerns and seek help without fear of rejection or discrimination.
Ojukwu urged religious and traditional leaders to complement professional mental healthcare rather than replace clinical treatment where it was necessary.
He also called on the media to promote accurate and sensitive reporting of mental health issues, warning against narratives that reinforced stereotypes and stigmatised affected persons.
The NHRC executive secretary pledged that the commission would continue to investigate human rights violations, protect vulnerable persons and advocate policies that uphold the rights and dignity of all Nigerians.
He maintained that Nigeria could not effectively protect human dignity while people continued to suffer in silence or face discrimination because they required mental healthcare.
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