Blog - In January 2023, a little over six decades after the Lunacy Act of 1958 was established, giving medical practitioners the power to detain people suffering from mental illnesses, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law Nigeria's first Mental Health Bill, the National Mental Health Act, 2021. The Lunacy Ordinance enacted in 1916, which preceded the Lunacy Act of 1958, was Nigeria's first mental health legislation. The Act is a significant step forward for mental health in Nigeria as it seeks to promote an
By Aloysius Ugwu and Beti Baiye
The Mental Health Act has ushered in an era in which mental health interventions will be designed to provide the highest quality of care while also protecting the rights and dignity of people with mental health needs.Nigeria's mental health system faces numerous challenges and gaps, particularly at the community level, where a lack of awareness and understanding, combined with stigma and discrimination, exacerbates existing issues and creates barriers to accessing quality care.
In addition to the coordinating role of the Department of Mental Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health, the new Act establishes a Mental Health Assessment Committee.
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