Editorial
Addressing Mental Health Challenges
October 10, every year is set aside by the United Nations to celebrate World Mental Health Day. It is a day intended to promote discussions on mental disorders and investment in prevention, promotion and treatment of mental health.
Unfortunately, little or no attention is often given to this aspect of human health need in many countries even when it is common knowledge that mental disorder thrives in an atmosphere of stress, anxiety and all manner of frustration often associated with the kind of human challenges common in Africa.
In Nigeria, the failure to celebrate the World Mental Health Day by the three tiers of government, the way it should, has only underscored the general attitude to the problem. The poor attention given to mental health in the country is even more dangerous when viewed from the fact that more people may be endangered through the abuse of hard drugs that even minors now participate in.
It is therefore important that adequate sensitization is undertaken on the symptoms, causes and treatment of mental disorders. Given the fact that early detection and prompt attention are key to checking and curing this kind of ailment, there ought to be more openness on the subject.
Of course, mentally unstable citizens cannot be depended upon to act or behave in socially acceptable manner. This is perhaps why drivers who contravene traffic rules in our society are recently being subjected to psychiatric tests.
While we agree that primary health care is an important foundation in the promotion of the well-being of the citizenry, we believe that adequate attention should be given to mental health of Nigerians as conditions that trigger the situation are becoming rather too rampant.
We therefore urge government at all levels to pay improved attention and provide special training for the providers of mental healthcare. This is more so because specialist psychiatric doctors and mental health institutions are still inadequate in the country.
There is also the need for sensitisation to educate Nigerians to appreciate the fact that mental cases are not necessarily a product of superstition. It is purely a human condition like any other defect in the human body system.
We are not against any therapy including religious and traditional methods of the treatment of mental disorder, however, we believe that these should be complementary to modern medicine. We urge the federal, state and local governments to pay special attention to rehabilitation centres, especially, for the mentally challenged and other destitutes.
It is also appropriate at this time in our nation’s life, for government to improve social amenities such as power, potable water, healthcare delivery and employment/skills empowerment; the absence of which often lead to stress and other mental complications.
In the same vein, government should introduce social security programmes including unemployment benefits which can help to sustain and improve the quality of life of the average citizen as practiced in the developed nations. That way, the incidences of stress, emotional instability and mental disorders are reduced.
The celebration of the World Mental Health Day, this year should engender a renewed approach by the inclusion of preventive and proactive policies and programmes to sustain and improve the mental health of the citizenry.
Even so, the private sector should also partner with government to provide funding, training and technology relevant for the management of the mental health challenges in the country.
When Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, received the Board and Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), led by its Chairman, Senator Adeyeye Adedayo Clement, his message was unmistakable: Rivers’ seaports remain underutilised, and Nigeria is poorer for it. The governor’s lament was a sad reminder of how neglect and centralisation continue to choke the nation’s economic arteries.
The governor, in his remarks at Government House, Port Harcourt, expressed concern that the twin seaports — the NPA in Port Harcourt and the Onne Seaport — have not been operating at their full potential. He underscored that seaports are vital engines of national development, pointing out that no prosperous nation thrives without efficient ports and airports. His position aligns with global realities that maritime trade remains the backbone of industrial expansion and international commerce.
Indeed, the case of Rivers State is peculiar. It hosts two major ports strategically located along the Bonny River axis, yet cargo throughput has remained dismally low compared to Lagos. According to NPA’s 2023 statistics, Lagos ports (Apapa and Tin Can Island) handled over 75 per cent of Nigeria’s container traffic, while Onne managed less than 10 per cent. Such a lopsided distribution is neither efficient nor sustainable.
Governor Fubara rightly observed that the full capacity operation of Onne Port would be transformative. The area’s vast land mass and industrial potential make it ideal for ancillary businesses — warehousing, logistics, ship repair, and manufacturing. A revitalised Onne would attract investors, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth, not only in Rivers State but across the Niger Delta.
The multiplier effect cannot be overstated. The port’s expansion would boost clearing and forwarding services, strengthen local transport networks, and revitalise the moribund manufacturing sector. It would also expand opportunities for youth employment — a pressing concern in a state where unemployment reportedly hovers around 32 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Yet, the challenge lies not in capacity but in policy. For years, Nigeria’s maritime economy has been suffocated by excessive centralisation. Successive governments have prioritised Lagos at the expense of other viable ports, creating a traffic nightmare and logistical bottlenecks that cost importers and exporters billions annually. The governor’s call, therefore, is a plea for fairness and pragmatism.
Making Lagos the exclusive maritime gateway is counter productive. Congestion at Tin Can Island and Apapa has become legendary — ships often wait weeks to berth, while truck queues stretch for kilometres. The result is avoidable demurrage, product delays, and business frustration. A more decentralised port system would spread economic opportunities and reduce the burden on Lagos’ overstretched infrastructure.
Importers continue to face severe difficulties clearing goods in Lagos, with bureaucratic delays and poor road networks compounding their woes. The World Bank’s Doing Business Report estimates that Nigerian ports experience average clearance times of 20 days — compared to just 5 days in neighbouring Ghana. Such inefficiency undermines competitiveness and discourages foreign investment.
Worse still, goods transported from Lagos to other regions are often lost to accidents or criminal attacks along the nation’s perilous highways. Reports from the Federal Road Safety Corps indicate that over 5,000 road crashes involving heavy-duty trucks occurred in 2023, many en route from Lagos. By contrast, activating seaports in Rivers, Warri, and Calabar would shorten cargo routes and save lives.
The economic rationale is clear: making all seaports operational will create jobs, enhance trade efficiency, and boost national revenue. It will also help diversify economic activity away from the overburdened South West, spreading prosperity more evenly across the federation.
Decentralisation is both an economic strategy and an act of national renewal. When Onne, Warri, and Calabar ports operate optimally, hinterland states benefit through increased trade and infrastructure development. The federal purse, too, gains through taxes, duties, and improved productivity.
Tin Can Island, already bursting at the seams, exemplifies the perils of over-centralisation. Ships face berthing delays, containers stack up, and port users lose valuable hours navigating chaos. The result is higher operational costs and lower competitiveness. Allowing states like Rivers to fully harness their maritime assets would reverse this trend.
Compelling all importers to use Lagos ports is an anachronistic policy that stifles innovation and local enterprise. Nigeria cannot achieve its industrial ambitions by chaining its logistics system to one congested city. The path to prosperity lies in empowering every state to develop and utilise its natural advantages — and for Rivers, that means functional seaports.
Fubara’s call should not go unheeded. The Federal Government must embrace decentralisation as a strategic necessity for national growth. Making Rivers’ seaports work is not just about reviving dormant infrastructure; it is about unlocking the full maritime potential of a nation yearning for balance, productivity, and shared prosperity.
