Daily lens Report
The presidential candidate of the labour party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the growing mental health crisis in Nigeria, blaming widespread hardship, poverty, and unemployment for pushing citizens into depression, hopelessness, and crime.
In a statement on his X (Twitter) handle to mark World Mental Health Day (October 10), the former Anambra State governor described the situation as “deeply troubling,” citing a World Health Organisation (WHO) report estimating that about 40 million Nigerians live with mental health conditions — despite the country having fewer than 300 psychiatrists.
Obi lamented that the government’s neglect of the health sector has worsened the problem, adding that “mental health is more important than physical health,” and that the daily struggle to survive has left many Nigerians mentally strained.
He urged the government to declare a public health emergency, invest massively in mental health infrastructure, and ensure the establishment of psychiatric hospitals across all geopolitical zones.
Obi further stressed that tackling poverty, unemployment, and hunger is crucial to addressing the root causes of mental distress, emphasizing that Nigeria’s true progress lies not in the wealth of its leaders, but in the well-being of its
people.
