Non-implementation of Mental Health Act deters foreign donors, says hospital provost

The Provost of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta, Professor Afis Agboola, said on Saturday that the non-implementation of the Mental Health Act is discouraging foreign donors from investing in Nigeria’s health sector.

Agboola raised the concern in Abuja during the 2025 budget performance review and 2026 budget defence at a session organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Specialty Healthcare.

He appealed to the lawmakers to urge the Minister of Health to commence implementation of the Act, particularly the provision for the establishment of a Department of Mental Health.

“If you can, please sir, impress it on the Minister of Health to implement that Act that talks about the creation of the Department of Mental Health. Though we have a desk officer in the ministry, that is just a minute part of it,” he said.

“There are some fundings in which like in the United of America, there is Department of National Mental Health Agency are ready to partner with us but they kept asking do we have the agency but they kept asking so you know, but I’m aware there to have some funding new trend is and there is due though, and of course other health centers agencies but they were able to access those funding because there are statutory bodies that will give records of those things.

“And of course we have other donor agencies abroad that are willing to partner and help our federal government agencies on eliminating the suffering of mental health patients but because there is no Agency or a Unit that can relate with. So,  please I want to plead with the Committee to impress it upon our leaders in the Federal Ministry of health to do it it is an Act and if they refuse to implement that Act, I think even though I’m a staff of Federal Ministry of Health they are not doing well to our patients.

“On our own, we try to reach out to the Federal Ministry of Health which is our parent body and what they kept saying is about funding issue. Even though I work under them, the Director, Dr. Azeez is here. Maybe the National Assembly can send them too, yeah, he’s still the staff of the Ministry. He’s the staff of the Ministry.

“You know, the issue of non-implementation of the Mental Health Act in the creation of this department of in the creation of department of mental health is an issue that we have been battling for over two years now that have been signed into law.

“I understand the bureaucracy of the civil servants. Just two days ago I had a meeting with the Minister of Health, the Honourable Minister of State for Health and the P.S. and the DHS that are responsible for our hospitals. And they kept saying that the psychiatric hospitals are asking for more.

“We cannot but ask for more because mentally-ill patients are Nigerians that have problems that could have caused social issues, other medical conditions. And we cannot but continue to ask for more.

He told the committee that the Institution spent almost N1 billion it revenue generated to take care of abandoned patients.

He said: “The other thing is the issue of abandonment. It’s an issue abandonment of patients. It’s a major problem and unfortunately we have a bill that was passed by the National Assembly, the Mental Health Act that was passed and signed to law by former president Muhammadu Buhari.

“Unfortunately up to this very moment there is no execution of that bill. The Act itself specifies who does what. The representative of the federal government, the state government and even the local government.

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Speaking on the 2025 budget implementation, he disclosed that the Hospital recorded zero budget implementation due to non-release of appropriated funds.

While noting that despite receiving AIE to incur up to 25 to 30 percent of the budget, the hospital has been unable to meet its financial obligations.

He added that a lot of Psychiatric hospitals cut down on some non-regular staff including Consultants as a result of non-payment of salaries.

According to him, about 10 months of the Overhead was released adding that the issue of energy cost is affecting all the Hospitals, however other non-regular releases were paid.

Chairman of the House Committee on Specialty Healthcare, Hon. Alex Egbona assured that at least 30 percent of the capital component of the 2025 budgetary allocation will be released before the end February, 2026.