By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives on Wednesday asked the federal government through the Ministry of Health and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to establish counseling centres across the country where people with mental health issues can receive counseling.
The House equally asked the Federal Ministry of Health to collaborate with relevant Health Institutions to ensure that research on mental health is put into practice to ensure evidence-based care to Nigerian citizens.
The House resolutions followed a motion on the need to prioritize and implement the provisions of the Mental Health Act, 2021 to tackle suicide and suicidality in Nigeria, mandating its Committee on Healthcare Services to evaluate the implementation of the content of the Mental Health Act and conduct a needs assessment of the full implementation of the Act.
Leading a debate on the motion, the sponsor, Uchenna Clement Nwachukwu said the responsibility of the government is to protect and safeguard the lives of Nigerians as outlined by Section 14(2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which provides that the security, safety, and welfare of the people of Nigeria shall be the primary purpose of the government.
He disclosed that on 12 July 2023, a teenager took her life after being raped in Oyo State, adding that many cases of suicide are underreported and mostly unreported in Nigeria due to social stigmatization.
He recalled that media report on the alarming rise in suicide deaths between 2022 and March
2023, adding that suicide is seen as a taboo in most parts of the country and hidden by families due to cultural factors.
He expressed concern about fresh cases of suicide published in the print media have a greater proportion of youth as victims, saying, “in January 2023, Joseph Olona, a 300-level student at FUTA, and 50-year-old Ojo Ogundeji both committed suicide on January 14 and 23, respectively.”
According to him, the risk factors for suicide such as mental health conditions, substance use, access to lethal means, prolonged stress, unemployment, financial crisis, and child abuse and neglect pose huge threats to Nigerians.
He alleged that there has not been adequate sensitization of the provisions of the Act and guidelines on how people struggling with mental health problems can receive help.
He said that the awareness campaigns should reduce stigma and ensure the acceptability of the regulations to protect the dignity of people struggling with mental health.
