Bishop Kukah Links Nigeria’s Mental Health Crisis to Rising Insecurity and Poor Healthcare Access
By SpringNewsNG Media Limited | May 29, 2025
Sokoto, Nigeria — Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has raised concerns over the escalating mental health crisis in Nigeria, blaming it on the country’s worsening insecurity and inadequate access to healthcare services—especially in northern Nigeria.
Speaking on Wednesday during the commissioning of 16 completed infrastructure projects at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Kware, the outspoken cleric said the pervasive violence, killings, and displacement are severely affecting the psychological well-being of citizens.
“We are all exposed to mental health struggles because of the violence around us and the poor state of medical care,” Bishop Kukah stated. “Women and children should not be dying simply because healthcare is out of reach.”
He acknowledged the efforts of the federal government but emphasized that much more needed to be done to address both mental health and security challenges.
The event was presided over by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, who described the newly completed projects as a milestone under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope healthcare initiative.
Dr. Salako praised the hospital’s leadership for the efficient use of federal resources and revealed that over 500 infrastructural upgrades have been executed in tertiary health institutions nationwide.
He also announced the upcoming National Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector, aimed at improving energy access and sustainability in Nigeria’s hospitals.
In addition, the minister unveiled plans for the Renewed Hope Health Connect, a government-backed program set to deliver fully-funded medical, surgical, ophthalmological, and audiology services to one million vulnerable Nigerians.
