As Nigeria marks World Mental Health Day, the stark reality is impossible to ignore over 40 million Nigerians are living with mental health disorders, yet fewer than 300 psychiatrists serve a nation of more than 220 million people. The gap is crippling lives, families, and the economy.
Experts warn that the country is facing a mental health emergency, driven by poverty, unemployment, insecurity, and the high cost of living. According to the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), a staggering 85 to 90 per cent of those in need have no access to proper care.
Obanor, a Lagos-based graduate who lost his N220,000-a-month job in 2020, battled suicidal thoughts after economic reforms wiped out his small pastry business. “I had applied to over 30 companies without success. When subsidy removal hit, everything collapsed,” he said. His story is one of many Nigerians’ daily mental struggles in an economy stretched to breaking point.
Another Lagos resident, Chukwuma Ibezim, recalled how a neighbour spiralled into depression after being defrauded. “He was loved by everyone but suddenly changed. Thankfully, a friend intervened before it was too late,” he said.
But not everyone is that lucky. Nigeria’s fragile mental health infrastructure, nine federal psychiatric hospitals, around 1,000 psychiatric nurses, and 319 licensed psychologists leaves millions untreated. Most professionals are based in cities, while more than 65 per cent of Nigerians live in rural areas.
Professor Taiwo Obindo, President of the APN, described the situation as “grossly inadequate and worsening.”
“We have one psychiatrist for about a million people. Many are leaving the country due to poor pay and harsh working conditions,” he said.
The World Bank’s latest report paints a grim picture, poverty has soared from 40 per cent in 2019 to 61 per cent in 2025, and consumption has plummeted by nearly 7 per cent. This economic strain has deepened psychological distress nationwide.
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Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates mental illness costs economies over $1 trillion yearly in lost productivity. In Nigeria, experts put the economic burden at more than ₦21 billion annually.
Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, Acting Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, said the system is overstretched.
“Some hospitals are seeing over 200 per cent increases in daily cases. We need at least one psychiatric facility in every state,” he stressed.
He urged the government to integrate mental health into primary healthcare — a policy proposed as far back as 1989 but never implemented. The 2023 Mental Health Act, meant to protect patients’ rights and promote access to care, remains largely unexecuted.
Clinical psychologist Dr Miracle Ihuoma believes a national insurance framework could ease the crisis.
“Mental health care should be accessible through insurance, subsidies, or employer-assisted programmes. Ignorance, religion, and poor infrastructure are our biggest barriers,” he said.
Stigma remains another major hurdle. Families often hide members suffering from mental illness, resorting to faith or traditional healers instead of seeking medical care. “People fear being labelled, so they suffer in silence,” Obindo added.
Experts agree on one urgent solution: implement the Mental Health Act, integrate care into the national health system, and invest in manpower. Without action, Nigeria risks losing more citizens not to physical disease, but to silent suffering.
