A report by the World Health Organisation says 20 million Nigerians, representing 20 per cent of the country’s population, live with mental health conditions.
Dr Azubike Aliche, the Secretary, Board of Trustees of the Nigeria-American Institute for Mental Health (NAIMH), disclosed this at a mental health GAP Action training programme.
Aliche said that the training would equip non-psychiatrists to be able to conduct screens to identify mental health symptoms and work with people to manage those symptoms.
He described as “alarming” the caseload of depression in Nigeria, which he said was reportedly the highest in the world and called for deliberate efforts to change the narrative.
And concluded that “Available reports indicate that only 10 per cent of people living with mental illness have access to care in Nigeria and this has to change.”
THISDAY live
Dr Azubike Aliche, the Secretary, Board of Trustees of the Nigeria-American Institute for Mental Health (NAIMH), disclosed this at a mental health GAP Action training programme.
Aliche said that the training would equip non-psychiatrists to be able to conduct screens to identify mental health symptoms and work with people to manage those symptoms.
He described as “alarming” the caseload of depression in Nigeria, which he said was reportedly the highest in the world and called for deliberate efforts to change the narrative.
And concluded that “Available reports indicate that only 10 per cent of people living with mental illness have access to care in Nigeria and this has to change.”
THISDAY live
Na only me normal for this naija
ReplyDelete@Pinky, you can't be sure of that, a lot are battling with mental health that are yet to be diagnosed.
Deleteand stella, i think the number may be higher
DeleteMany just wear cloths but dey craze..
DeleteThank you ELROI o
Talmbout when you hear 'many are mad, few are roaming'. It's no jokes. It cuts deep.
ReplyDeleteMental disorder is a broad term. Whether, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD etc.
Depression is one type of mental disorder that is becoming very rampant. With the state of the nation, many people struggle with it.
So yeah, you have the answer.
The evidence yakpa for this blog.🤣🤣🤣
ReplyDeleteThis got me laughing. They plenty for my side also. Those that you don't talk to, will talk to themselves and answer themselves claiming you are the one talking to them, meanwhile you are not aware of what they are doing or taking about.
DeleteNot all that wears clothes is normal.
I think it's more than 20%. It should be 99%.
ReplyDeleteEweleke 😳😳🙆🙆
ReplyDeleteWHO unu AsI gini 🙄
How did they come up with the percentage? Cos as far as I'm concerned I've never been mentally accessed , neither is anyone I know of, abi na social media them take rate us? I no trust these people.
ReplyDeleteDon’t mind them. It’s because mental health is high in the western world, they think that with the level of poverty in Africa/Nigeria, mental health would be worsened.
DeleteWhat they don’t know is that our culture doesn’t give room for that sickness to prevail. Merely talking to neighbours and strangers at the busstop helps with one’s mood, unlike here that one can be all alone for life with no one to talk to.
The statistics maybe is based on what they see in the street.
DeleteYou are 100% right
DeleteVery possible oh!
ReplyDeleteBecause with the things we hear
God Abeg o
ReplyDeleteBefore nko dem plenty for this blog especially during giveaway shiorr
ReplyDeleteBefore nko???
ReplyDeleteThe level of normal-looking mad people out there is alarming. You wouldn't even know till you try to engage them, na then you go know say 'werey po'.
Por pa!
DeleteHnmmm, I cannot disagree less.
ReplyDeleteMental illness refers to a broad range of possible diagnoses. It does not mean ppl are mad/insane. Many ppl with mental illness are living successfully with their illness, even without psychiatric interventions.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think 10% of the population is about the norm in large populations, we must remember that the pandemic messed up a lot of ppl and after that most economics changed and the cost of consumer goods became far more expensive while salaries remained static. In Nigeria the problem is further exacerbated by regular kidnappings, murder of villagers and farmers, money rituals and other factors that could be increasing fear in the general population which will likely put undue demands on the mental health of the average person.
Every village and community should have members trained in mental health first aid, who can provide support and a non-judgmental listening ear with strict confidentiality. Having connections help ppl.
Spot on
DeleteFrom what we see/hear around and read on social media, the percentage is sure higher than that.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't far from the truth
ReplyDeleteIt could be more. We treat mental health issues as taboo in this part of the world, so we have those who suffer from and yet appear normal.
ReplyDeleteThe percentage is higher. The posts in the links copied below are proofs of mental disorder.
ReplyDelete1. https://www.stelladimokokorkus.com/2025/05/family-of-3-perishes-over-husbands.html?m=1
2. https://www.stelladimokokorkus.com/2025/05/rapper-speed-darlington-confesses-to.html?m=1
3. https://www.stelladimokokorkus.com/2025/05/rapper-speed-darlington-says-he-was.html?m=1
4. https://www.stelladimokokorkus.com/2025/05/enugu-state-native-doctor-reportedly.html?m=1
I agree with this .
ReplyDeleteCEO Empress
ReplyDeleteIt’s very possible because the way some people act unprovoked is quite alarming and is a cause for concern
Mental sickness can be brought on by many things and with the rate of poverty and the never ending increase of stuff in the Market
CEO
Dem plenty for this blog.
ReplyDeleteConfirmed.👍
ReplyDeleteThis is largely true.
ReplyDeleteYou just see people talking to themselves or gesticulating while walking on the road. Nigerians are going through a lot
I agree with them.. come my side them yapaa o young boys and girls
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the number, it is more higher than that, from the way people post or comment on social media, the way people behave and react unprovoked in real life.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people with mental illness have not been diagnosed, and the ones that are diagnosed, not all of them are taking their medications, some even prefer to go to religious houses or traditionalist claiming it's a spiritual problem.
I'm not condemning those that seek spiritual solutions, but most of the time, it just a medical problem.
Non of us normal. 🤷🏽♀️
ReplyDelete