Urgent Call for Implementation of Nigeria's Mental Health Act

Prof. Taiwo Latif Sheikh, a Professor of Psychiatry at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, called for the immediate implementation of the National Mental Health Act, which was enacted in December 2022. He emphasized that the Federal Government has yet to establish the Department of Mental Health within the Federal Ministry of Health, a critical provision of the law.

Sheikh pointed out that despite the law being passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President, its implementation remains stalled. He highlighted the severe treatment gap in Nigeria, where 85 to 90 percent of Africans with severe mental health conditions cannot access treatment within a year.

Sheikh criticized the focus on maintaining psychiatric hospitals rather than developing community-based services and argued that mental health issues extend beyond healthcare, involving sectors like education, housing, and social welfare. He identified six essential components for an effective mental health system, warning that weaknesses in any area could undermine service delivery.