Nigeria 20 Million and Counting: Nigeria’s Troubling Mental Health Crisis Exposed by WHO

A staggering 20 million Nigerians, roughly 10% of the population, are battling mental health conditions, according to the WHO. With Nigeria’s depression rates now the highest globally and only 10% of sufferers accessing care, experts at a recent Owerri training workshop labeled the situation a “national emergency.” The event aimed to equip non-specialist health workers to identify and support those affected, but gaps in funding and infrastructure persist.

• Scale of Crisis: 1 in 10 Nigerians faces mental health challenges - 20M people.
• Care Gap: Just 10% can access treatment due to stigma and underfunded systems.
• Grassroots Push: Pilot training in Imo State empowers 25 health workers for community care.
• Global Context: Nigeria’s depression rate tops the world, per WHO data.
• Call to Action: Govt urged to boost funding and upgrade facilities.

As economic hardships and social pressures mount, mental health is the invisible pandemic draining productivity and well-being. With most cases untreated, the ripple effects from family breakdowns to lost GDP demand immediate policy shifts.

"Is mental health a personal struggle or a societal failure? Where should Nigeria’s priorities lie?"