The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised the alarm over growing human rights violations against Nigerians living with mental health conditions, disclosing that vulnerable persons continue to face discrimination, neglect, abuse and social exclusion amid inadequate access to affordable treatment.
The Commission also called on the federal government to urgently prioritise mental healthcare, strengthen health insurance coverage and increase funding for mental health services, warning that millions of vulnerable Nigerians risk being left without adequate care and protection.
The executive secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, made the call in Abuja on Monday while addressing stakeholders to commemorate the 2026 World Mental Health Day, insisting that mental healthcare must be treated as both a public health priority and a fundamental human rights obligation.
Ojukwu expressed concern that people living with mental health conditions were often denied their dignity and basic rights, including access to education, employment, housing and participation in community life. He warned that some were also subjected to violence, neglect and restrictions on their right to make decisions about their own lives.
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Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO), the NHRC boss said one in every seven people globally lives with a mental disorder or mental health challenge, while many people who require professional assistance do not receive effective treatment.
He identified poverty, violence, disability and inequality as major factors contributing to poor mental health, noting that the situation was particularly concerning in communities affected by conflict, displacement, abductions and other humanitarian emergencies, especially in Nigeria's North-East.
Ojukwu further cited WHO data indicating that fewer than three per cent of people with mental health conditions in Nigeria are covered by health insurance, leaving many individuals and families struggling to bear the financial burden of treatment.
He said the situation required urgent government intervention, stressing that the right to health could not be fully realised without affordable, accessible and quality mental healthcare.
The NHRC executive secretary also disclosed that the Commission had intervened in disturbing cases involving children and adults with psychosocial disabilities who were subjected to solitary confinement in Kano State before being moved to a welfare facility following its intervention.
He revealed that the Commission recently rescued a child from a woman who was living in extremely distressing and inhuman conditions in the Federal Capital Territory, in circumstances linked to her mental state.
According to him, such incidents demonstrate how mental health challenges can affect entire families and expose vulnerable people to further human rights violations when appropriate medical care, psychosocial support and family assistance are unavailable.
"A mental health condition does not diminish a person's worth, dignity or human rights," Ojukwu said, calling for an end to the stigma, discrimination and mistreatment experienced by people living with mental health conditions.
He disclosed that the Commission had established a counselling unit at its headquarters in Abuja to provide emotional support to victims of human rights violations and staff exposed to traumatic cases. It has also conducted capacity-building programmes for investigation officers to improve their understanding of mental health and psychosocial concerns.
Ojukwu added that the NHRC, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other stakeholders, was working to mainstream human rights protections into Nigeria's National Mental Health Strategic Plan 2032.
He urged the federal government to strengthen the implementation of the National Mental Health Act and relevant policies, increase the deployment of psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, psychiatric nurses and social workers, and expand community-based mental health services.
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The Commission further called for stronger safeguards against discrimination, violence, neglect and degrading treatment, as well as improved monitoring of human rights violations in mental health facilities.
Ojukwu also urged religious and traditional leaders to complement, rather than replace, professional mental healthcare, while calling on families, schools, workplaces and communities to create supportive environments where people could seek help without fear of rejection or stigma.
He tasked the media with promoting accurate and responsible reporting on mental health, warning that insensitive coverage could reinforce harmful stereotypes and deepen the exclusion of affected persons.
The NHRC boss reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to investigating human rights violations, protecting vulnerable persons and advocating policies that guarantee dignity and equal rights for all Nigerians.
He said the country must move beyond public awareness and policy declarations to concrete action, insisting that no person should be abandoned, abused or denied dignity because of a mental health condition.
