Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has blamed the President Bola Tinubu-led government for the increasing cases of mental issues in Nigeria.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said this in his message as Nigeria joined the global community on Thursday to commemorate this year’s World Mental Health Day.
He noted that the worsening economic situation had resulted in increasing acute hunger, hardship, poverty, income inequalities and other socio-political issues under the Tinubu’s administration.
Obi added that this had continued to fuel mental health cases in the country.
He said that the National Institute of Health reported that about 40 to 60million Nigerians suffered various forms of mental ailment, adding that one in every 5 Nigerians, battle with mental health issues.
According to him, suicide cases in the country, fuelled by anxiety and depression, had remained on the rise.
Obi said, “Today, I join the Global Community in commemorating World Mental Health Day, on which we raise awareness of mental health issues while encouraging concerted efforts to support those experiencing mental health issues in our nation.
“Though not often well talked about, mental health remains a very critical component of our health sector, which if not given due attention, greatly impacts negatively on our productivity as a nation.
“A healthy nation, they say, is a wealthy nation. I dare say, a mentally healthy nation is a more productive nation.
“In Nigeria, mental health remains one of the critical health issues not given the due attention it deserves.
“The worsening economic situation resulting from hunger, poverty, and income inequalities in the country, coupled with other socio-political issues affecting the nation, have continued to fuel a growing menace of mental health cases.
“The National Institute of Health reports that about 40 to 60 million Nigerians suffer various forms of mental ailment.
“This translates to about 1 in every 5 Nigerians, battling with mental health issues.
“Suicide cases in the country, fueled by anxiety and depression, have remained on the increase.
“It is reported that Nigeria has one of the highest rates of suicide and depression in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“The current rate of suicide in Nigeria is 9.50% out of 100,000 people.”
Obi noted that drug abuse is also another contributor to mental health decadence in the country.
He said, “According to reports, an estimated 14.3 million people aged between 15 and 64 years in Nigeria, are addicted to drugs and substance abuse.
“Nigeria is also ranked 3rd most stressful country in the world, which contributes to different mental illnesses in the nation.
“The above grim statistics reflect the lack of attention given to mental health, a critical contributor to national development in our society.
“A nation that truly wants to improve its productive capacity must pay attention to the health of its citizens.
“A day like this reminds us, as leaders, to prioritise the well-being of our people, by not only investing more in the health sector but putting in place policies and measures that will improve the lives of our people through improved standards of living.
“We are also reminded as a people to always seek medical attention when faced with any mental health challenge and to show love and support to our people who are already contending with the challenge.”
