… Millions remain at risk as key reforms stall four years after Mental Health ActBy Chioma Obinna
To confront Nigeria’s deepening mental health crisis, Nigerian Mental Health (NMH) has launched the country’s first-ever public-facing Mental Health Policy Commitment Tracker, an accountability tool aimed at exposing implementation gaps and compelling government action on long-promised reforms.
The data-driven platform, officially unveiled in Abuja, is designed to independently monitor whether mental health policies and legal commitments are translating into real services, institutional reforms, and protections for millions of Nigerians.
The launch comes amid mounting concerns that despite the passage of Nigeria’s National Mental Health Act in 2022, critical aspects of implementation remain stalled, leaving vulnerable citizens without adequate care or legal safeguards.
Among the major gaps highlighted is the failure to fully establish the Department of Mental Health mandated by the law and the government’s missed December 2025 deadline to decriminalise attempted suicide, now shifted to December 2026.
