Niger govt sets to tackle over 700,000 mental health challenge cases

By Daniel Ebi, Minna

The Niger State Government has announced plans to strengthen community-based mental healthcare services following a disclosure that between 600,000 and 700,000 people in the state have sought help for mental health-related concerns.

The disclosure, made by the Commissioner for Health, Murtala Muhammad Bagana, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abdullahi Imam, during a briefing in Minna to commemorate the 2026 World Mental Health Day, has highlighted the need to expand access to treatment, improve data collection and increase investment in psycho social support.

However, the government acknowledged that available facility statistics and programme targets do not yet provide a complete picture of the state’s mental health burden, underscoring the need for more reliable data to guide policy decisions and resource allocation.

The 2026 World Mental Health Day theme, “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change,” calls for greater inclusion of people living with mental health conditions in the design and implementation of policies affecting their well being.

According to the commissioner, insecurity, displacement, family difficulties and substance-related challenges are among the factors contributing to psychological distress in communities across the state.

He noted that the consequences extend beyond individual health, affecting family relationships, children’s education, workplace productivity, community stability and the ability of vulnerable households to recover from adversity.

“For a state pursuing wider social and economic development, addressing mental health is therefore not merely a medical responsibility but also an investment in human capital, social protection and community resilience,” he said.

Bagana disclosed that mental health services had been documented at the State Social Rehabilitation Centre and the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, while the government was working to improve routine data collection, community-level assessments, reporting and monitoring of service delivery.

He explained that strengthening these systems would help the state identify underserved communities, understand patterns of demand for mental healthcare and allocate resources according to the needs of residents.

A major component of the government’s strategy is the expansion of mental health services at the primary healthcare level, an approach expected to bring basic support closer to communities and reduce the need for residents to travel long distances to access initial assessments, counseling and referrals.

The commissioner, however, stressed that translating the policy into meaningful results would require adequately trained personnel, essential medicines where clinically indicated, reliable referral systems and sustained funding.

He said primary healthcare workers would also need specialized training to recognize signs of psychological distress, provide appropriate initial support and refer cases requiring specialist intervention.

The government further identified the recruitment and development of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, social workers and counselors as priorities in efforts to strengthen the state’s mental healthcare system.

It also called for greater collaboration among healthcare institutions, schools, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, development partners and families to improve awareness, early identification and access to treatment.

The commissioner warned against stigmatizing people living with mental health conditions or treating their experiences as moral failures, urging residents to seek professional assistance whenever necessary.

He said sustained public education was particularly important in communities where psychological distress might be misunderstood or attributed exclusively to spiritual causes.

According to him, public awareness campaigns should encourage appropriate medical assessment while ensuring that people experiencing mental health challenges are treated with dignity and respect.

The government also pointed to Nigeria’s existing policy frameworks, including the National Mental Health Act, the National Mental Health Policy 2023 and the National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework 2023–2030, as important instruments for improving access to mental healthcare.

The World Health Organization has consistently highlighted the substantial treatment gap for mental health conditions in low- and middle-income countries, where many people who need care are unable to access adequate services.

The Niger State Government’s proposed community-based approach is therefore expected to depend on effective implementation, adequate funding, improved data systems and sustained public engagement to ensure that mental healthcare becomes more accessible to residents across the state.

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