Mental Illness in Nigeria: A Case of Neglect

by Marcus Idiongo

Mira was an easygoing and playful girl in our community; she was known for her freestyle nature and ease. But behind the scenes, Mira Struggled with lots of mental challenges and illnesses. She was losing it and gradually going from the freestyle person everyone knew to a sad, Paranoid, and confused girl.

She could not get adequate help due to the lack of a proper mental or psychiatric hospital in our locality, which meant that she was left to her fate. Gradually, she lost grip on reality and lived in her head till she lost it and resorted to the streets because her middle-class and struggling family could no longer take care of her with the deteriorating condition of the Nigerian economy.

Mira’s story could have been different if there had been a good psychiatric hospital, and proper enlightenment, and professionals within the area. The failure of the government to provide one for her and many like her left them to their fate and to resort to the streets with no caretaker.

Mental Health problems don’t just begin and spark; they fester and accumulate over time. When patients show few symptoms of a form of mental disorder, proper psychiatric attention at this point can prevent them from hitting the streets. A lack of it due to certain reasons in its early and advanced stages makes for mad people roaming the streets.

Using Nigerian Society as a study, we see that there is a pure lack of mental health facilities in most parts of the country, and as a result, we have mad people littered everywhere on the streets of Nigeria.

Homelessness and mental illness are pervasive issues in every major city and town across Nigeria. Unfortunately, we have grown accustomed to witnessing individuals, both clothed and naked, roaming the streets, and have regrettably normalized these distressing circumstances. It is disheartening that we often turn a blind eye to their plight, only reacting with outrage when a negative incident occurs. In such instances, the government briefly intervenes, temporarily clearing the streets of these vulnerable individuals.

The absence of adequate mental health facilities, a critical responsibility of the government, has contributed to the presence of mentally ill individuals residing on our streets. The establishment of rehabilitation centers, psychiatric hospitals, mental health facilities, and the availability of trained professionals would significantly reduce the number of individuals experiencing mental illness who are left without proper care and support. Unfortunately, the current government has failed to address this issue, leading to the visible presence of individuals with mental health challenges in our communities.

Poverty, impoverishment, and superstitious beliefs are also other reasons why this crisis is common in our society. A situation where Mira’s family could no longer cater to her due to poverty and the ever-depreciating nature of the economy resorted to them letting her roam the streets and join the sea of mentally ill people out there. It is also a common belief in Nigeria that mental illness happens as a result of a spiritual problem or consequence and is therefore worth ignoring because “we were not there when he was doing it”. This thinking exists due to a lack of proper enlightenment about mental health—its reasons and why they happen.

Promoting awareness and educating the public about mental health through government initiatives can foster compassion, reduce stigmatization, and encourage empathetic actions among the populace.

Regrettably, the mental health sector remains severely underfunded, with a mere 3% of the budget allocated to address its needs. This limited financial support hinders the acquisition of necessary equipment, fair compensation for healthcare workers, and the creation of conducive work environments.

Consequently, these shortcomings discourage staff from taking on new cases and may lead to exorbitant charges, rendering mental health services unaffordable for the less privileged members of society. It is imperative that the government addresses this funding gap to ensure adequate resources are available, allowing mental health professionals to provide accessible and high-quality care to those in need.

The failure of the government when it comes to mental health problems is shown by the number of “Mad people” on the street. A situation where the government allocates enough funds for the provision of mental health facilities and psychiatric homes, etc., makes it easier for the poor, middle class, and those struggling to afford the needed psychiatric attention and get necessary treatments, saving them from the streets.