- …Says more than 40 million Nigerians have mental health challenges
- Warns youths, other abusers to avoid drugs, illicit substances
By Cosmas Omegoh
Many Nigerians currently have mental health issues without knowing it. Chairman, Board of Fellows (BOF), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Uche Apakama, who raised the alarm, wants individuals to examine themselves and get help before it is too late.
He further says that the forthcoming annual BOF Lecture offers the best place to get essential mental healthcare nuggets.
In this interview, Apakama, who is the Chief Executive Officer, Paxs Pharmaceuticals Limited, warns youths as well as abusers of drugs and other illicit substances to reconsider their bad ways and reveals that there is a paucity of drugs to manage victims.
Even when the drugs are available, he adds, the cost is exorbitant. Read more.
Do pharmacists have any say in mental health issues?
Of course, pharmacists do. For us, mental health is a growing concern in this country now and has a significant impact on individuals, families and communities. Perhaps, it might not surprise anyone to know that mental health issues can be found in every tribe, religion and culture; that it is a challenge affecting all cadres of our society – the young, old, poor and rich are all affected. For us, mental health is everyone’s business. In the healthcare chain, pharmacists play a very crucial role in providing accessible and comprehensive care to patients with mental health conditions.
By your assessment, what’s the state of mental health in the country?
Mental health is a global issue. We have our fair share of it. Many Nigerians are facing severe mental health conditions. These conditions come in the form of depression, anxiety, drug and substance abuse. They are indeed on the rise. Indeed, we are facing a significant mental health crisis with alarming statistics that highlight the need for urgent attention. For instance, approximately 40 million Nigerians are affected by mental illness. This represents about 20 per cent of the population. About one person out of four Nigerians, or over 50 million people experience mental health issues at some point in their lives. Around seven million Nigerians (3.9% of the population) had depressive disorders; 4.9 million Nigerians (2.7%) had anxiety disorders in 2017.
Unfortunately, it was reported that there were fewer than 250 psychiatrists in Nigeria, translating to a ratio of one psychiatrist per one million people. That record falls far below the standard ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation, which is one psychiatrist per 10,000 people.
Sadly, about 80 per cent of people in Nigeria with severe mental health needs are unable to obtain care due to stigma, negative social attitudes, lack of facilities, resources and an inadequate number of mental health professionals.
Talking about treatment, it is sad to note that about 70 per cent of mental health treatment in the country is provided through non-orthodox means such as traditional and supernatural healers.
Now, see where pharmacists come in. We are essential healthcare professionals who contribute significantly to building a stronger nation by providing expert advice, medication, management and support. Over the years, we have demonstrated assistance to individuals with mental health conditions by helping people to lead healthier and more productive lives.
What are the specific ways that mental health affects society?
It is a matter that affects all of us – our physical and mental well-being. As elders in the pharmaceutical industry, we have seen this play out in our individual lives and careers. We are heads of families. We have seen these things in our own families and we know that this is a matter that has been under-reported. That is why the Board of Fellows (BOF) of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), has taken it as a project to get people involved.
As part of our efforts to tackle this challenge, we will be discussing the matter at our 7th Annual Public Lecture on July 2, 2025, at Festival Hotel, formerly Golden Tulip Hotel, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos. The theme of the event is ‘Mental Health: A Basic Human Right Crucial to Personal, Community and Socio-Economic Development.’
This event comes under the chairmanship of Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly. An array of key speakers has been invited; the keynote speaker is Dr Gbonjuba Babalola Abiri, a renowned expert in the mental health space. We have also invited Commander Abubakar Liman Wali from the NDLEA. Other eminent panellists are Dr Lucas Koyejo, a rights activist, as well as Mrs Veronica Modupe Okugbeni, a mental health pharmacist.
After that session, we will vigorously appeal for increased support for the endowment fund for the promotion of excellence in pharmaceutical research and education in the country. We are also bringing politicians and experts in psychiatry and other supporting areas. We expect people to come in and ask questions.
To tell you the truth, very many people in this country have mental health issues even without knowing it. That is why the public is invited to ask questions regarding their status. It is going to be an interactive forum; the people are going to be involved. Then we end our mid-year meeting with our dinner/award night, where some eminent Nigerians will be honoured for their support to our drug and substance abuse campaign.
We have taken our initiative as leaders to bring out a matter that affects the society in many ways. That is what we are doing. At BOF, each year, we look at the society and bring out things that are salient, yet topical and address them with our annual meeting lecture.
What do you say about the spate of drug/substance abuse by youths nowadays?
Indeed, we are very worried. We get sorely worried seeing the young ones being destroyed through drug and substance abuse. When you go around, you see the young ones imbibing strange lifestyles. You see that reflected in their hairstyles, the tattoos they wear and their weird ways. We see these things every day. That is not our culture.
To be honest with you, society and our work environment are becoming mad places for us all. Oftentimes, you see people exhibit some mental health issues because of the stress they go through daily. That is alarming.
As employers of labour, when we have issues with our workers’ attitude, sometimes we get mad. In addition, we are daily challenged by the society we live in. And that is why we see people manifest mental stress and mental illnesses.
So the right thing for us to do as individuals is to assess ourselves. Self-assessment is the best approach to resolving our individual mental health issues. This has to be done at very early stages before things get bad. That is why sometimes we see that young man, that young girl getting crazy. We should be able to move quickly and address and resolve the issues that affect us.
If we refuse to take personal responsibility for our mental health, we had better ask ourselves this pertinent question: are there facilities available where mental health issues can be managed?
Are you saying that we do not have the right facilities to cater for people’s mental health?
The first concern is that we have about 250 psychiatrists in Nigeria to handle all the cases that are. The truth is that we don’t have enough personnel. Now, the question we should be asking is Why don’t we have enough?’ What is the problem? That is why we have to support the government to ensure that we have enough personnel we need to take care of the rising cases we have.
We urge the government to train and retrain people in the field. We can bring people at the lower cadres of mental health care and train them. We can train nurses and other categories of personnel. We can train pharmacists as psychiatrists to help identify the issues and proffer solutions.
What about the drugs, are they available?
Yes, we have drugs, but they are not enough. Now you ask: Are the drugs available cheap? I don’t think so! We have issues with industry capacity and funding. That is why we keep pleading for government intervention. Meanwhile, we thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his initiative in supporting the pharmaceutical industry with funding and the removal of Customs duties on drugs and essential pharmaceutical raw materials. By doing so, the government has encouraged local production and enhanced capacity. Over time, factories can go into full production of drugs, and that means that with time, more essential drugs will be made available to the people.
Meanwhile, what do you say to youths doing drugs?
Everyone of them must note that at the moment, there is a crisis in the health sector. Very essential drugs are not readily available, and where they are, they are not cheap. That is why everyone needs to be very careful and stay off drugs.
Unfortunately, much of what we see young people doing today is inspired by environmental factors. Here, we are talking about poor perception and peer pressure. We are increasingly seeing youths indulge in chocolate laced with marijuana and other substances for good effects. These are also happening because drugs are not adequately controlled in this country. However, we thank NAFDAC for the actions it is taking to rid the markets of harmful drugs and substances.
Sadly, we still see people indulging in tramadol and other harmful drugs, which ultimately affect their health. They should stay off these drugs. I urge every young person out there to be themselves. They need to be careful with their mental health. They need to avoid drug use and abuse. They need to come out and talk about themselves. Through that, they can be examined, and those who already have mental health issues can be taken care of. They should not keep the challenge to themselves. I enjoin everyone of them to get help when they notice something that is not right with them.