Declare state of emergency on substance abuse, mental health expert urges govt

A psychiatrist, Dr Abayomi Olajide, has called on the government to declare a state of emergency on substance abuse in Nigeria. According to Dr Olajide, substance abuse is worsening Nigeria's mental health situation.

Dr Olajide noted that 90 percent of bed spaces in psychiatric hospitals, both private and public, are currently occupied by patients with substance use disorder. He observed that the situation has become alarming, with secondary school students, commercial drivers, and even females increasingly involved in drug abuse.

The psychiatrist, who is also the chairman of the Mental Health Action Committee in Ogun State, believes that tackling the issue requires a multi-pronged approach, including drug prevention programmes in primary and secondary schools.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria, Daily Post Nigeria — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.