Health
Nigeria launches first mental health policy tracker to monitor implementation of reforms
Nigeria has launched its first public-facing Mental Health Policy Commitment Tracker, a digital platform designed to independently monitor implementation of the country’s mental health laws and policies amid concerns over slow progress in carrying out key reforms.
Developed by advocacy organisation Nigerian Mental Health (NMH), the tracker was officially launched virtually on Monday after an initial public unveiling in May.
NMH announced the launch in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.
According to the organisation, the platform enables policymakers, researchers, civil society organisations and members of the public to monitor progress on commitments under the National Mental Health Act and related policies, including mental health financing, workforce development, treatment access and state-level reforms.
Why the tracker matters
Late President Muhammadu Buhari signed the National Mental Health Bill into law in January 2023 after two failed legislative attempts dating back to 2003.
The legislation replaced the outdated Lunacy Act and marked a major shift in Nigeria’s approach to mental healthcare by strengthening the rights of people living with mental health conditions and providing for institutions such as a Department of Mental Health Services and a Mental Health Fund.
However, more than three years later, implementation of several provisions of the law has remained slow.
According to NMH, key institutional structures required under the Act, including the Department of Mental Health, have yet to be fully established.
The organisation also said the federal government missed its December 2025 target to fully decriminalise attempted suicide, while implementation of the 2023 National Mental Health Policy and the country’s first Suicide Prevention Policy Framework has been limited.
It said these implementation gaps informed the development of the tracker, which is intended to independently verify whether mental health commitments are being translated into concrete action.
Speaking at the launch, NMH founder Chime Asonye said policy commitments should be accompanied by measurable implementation.
“Visibility must be matched by measurable execution,” he said, adding that the platform is designed to ensure commitments lead to tangible legal, institutional and service delivery outcomes.
According to NMH, the tracker serves as a public dashboard that aggregates government data, legislative updates, budget documents, verified stakeholder submissions and community-reported evidence.
Each policy commitment is assigned an implementation status, such as “Not Started, In Progress, Delayed or Completed”, allowing users to monitor progress across the federal and state levels.
The platform tracks regulatory milestones under the National Mental Health Act, as well as governance structures, budget allocations, workforce capacity, access to treatment, affordability and broader rights-based reforms.
Stakeholders back initiative
The launch brought together government officials, policymakers, researchers, civil society organisations, development partners, media practitioners and representatives of the creative industry.
Among the organisations supporting the initiative are Lagos Mind, Mind Over Matters NG, Stilt NG, Our Beta Life, the Mental Health Transformation Organisation (MHT) and Hevolve Foundation.
Mental health advocate and musician Hadiza Blell-Olo, popularly known as Di’ja, urged public figures to move beyond raising awareness by supporting partnerships that strengthen mental health reforms, noting that the tracker provides a framework for improving policy accountability.
Also speaking, the National Mental Health Coordinator at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Tunde Ojo, said independent accountability mechanisms can help strengthen implementation and improve service delivery.
NMH said the platform is open to policymakers, practitioners, researchers and members of the public, who can submit verified implementation updates and feedback to improve transparency and support mental health reforms across the country.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, and other stakeholders at the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo, organised by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN).
Keywords: pharmaceutical manufacturing, Iziaq Salako, medicine security, local production, healthcare value chain, pharmaceuticals, PVAC
The federal government is targeting at least 70 per cent local production of essential healthcare products by 2030 as part of efforts to strengthen medicine security and reduce the country’s dependence on imports.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Monday in Lagos while declaring open the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo, organised by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN).
The expo, themed “Regional Manufacturing: Advancing Africa’s Pharma and Life-Science Sovereignty through Localisation,” brought together stakeholders in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and life-sciences sector.
$2bn financing, tariff relief for drug makers
Mr Salako said the government’s Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) had secured about $2 billion in financing commitments at single-digit interest rates, with about 50 Nigerian health firms in advanced discussions for funding.
He said the government was also using fiscal measures to support local pharmaceutical manufacturing, noting that 87 local manufacturers were benefiting from a presidential executive order granting zero tariffs on pharmaceutical machinery, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and excipients across almost 1,000 Harmonised System codes.
According to him, the measures are intended to strengthen domestic manufacturing and build greater resilience into Nigeria’s healthcare supply chain.
From imports to domestic capacity
Speaking further, Mr Salako said disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the risks associated with dependence on global supply chains and underscored the need for Nigeria and other African countries to develop domestic capacity to produce medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and other essential health technologies.
“Our conversation can no longer be limited to whether we can access medicines when global supply chains are functioning,” he said.
Mr Salako described medicine security as an issue of national resilience and sovereignty, saying Nigeria needed to develop capacity across the pharmaceutical value chain rather than concentrate on final-product assembly.
He said ongoing government efforts include expanding local production of APIs, vaccines, biologics, diagnostics and other health commodities.
Mr Salako also cited the operationalisation of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) API Capacity Building and Concept Production Centre, development of commercial API manufacturing capacity and efforts to localise production of HIV, hepatitis and syphilis diagnostic products.
He said Nigeria must also increase investment in research and development and harness its phytomedicinal resources to deepen pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Predictable market for local manufacturers
Mr Salako said the establishment of Medipool, Nigeria’s national Group Purchasing Organisation for essential medicines and medical commodities, would help create predictable demand for locally manufactured products.
He said the organisation would aggregate procurement, negotiate bulk purchases and improve supply-chain efficiency.
READ ALSO: FG seeks action on harmful gender norms to improve adolescent health
In addition, he also urged pharmaceutical manufacturers, researchers, investors and development partners to explore regional markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing ambitions would depend on sustained investment, innovation, regulatory alignment and access to larger regional markets.
Mr Salako said stronger collaboration among government, manufacturers, researchers, investors and development partners would be necessary to build a more resilient pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem in Nigeria and across Africa.
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Resident doctors have given the federal government a 14-day ultimatum to begin implementing outstanding agreements on their welfare and working conditions or face “further industrial action.”
The ultimatum takes effect from 1 October 2026, according to a communique issued at the end of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors’ (NARD) 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Calabar, Cross River State.
According to the document signed by the association’s new President, Ogar Idoko, Secretary-General, Besongngem Akotanchi, and Publicity and Social Secretary, Ashimom Msughter, the meeting was held from 21 to 26 September.
The doctors said the ultimatum became necessary due to ongoing delays in resolving several welfare and professional issues, despite the government’s previous engagements and commitments.
Outstanding allowances, salaries
The resident doctors demanded the immediate payment of 19 months of outstanding Professional Allowance Table (PAT) arrears.
They also demanded payment of outstanding arrears arising from the 25/35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for doctors and other affected health workers.
The association said several medical doctors were still owed salary and promotion arrears in various federal health institutions.
It also demanded the immediate correction of omissions and errors in the payment of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF). It called for an upward review of the fund to reflect the current cost of residency training.
The doctors said the reviewed MRTF should also be captured in the 2027 Appropriation Act.
Other demands
The resident doctors called for the accelerated conclusion of the long-running Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Nigerian Medical Association and the federal government.
They said the unresolved review of the CONMESS salary structure had remained outstanding for about 17 years and was contributing to the brain drain affecting the health sector.
The association also called for a sustainable recruitment system to address “the critical manpower shortages occasioned by brain drain and guarantee safe and effective healthcare delivery.”
It demanded the implementation of the approved work-hour regulation policy, including functional biometric systems to document working hours and a standardised system for compensating doctors for excess workload.
The doctors also called for the implementation of “the Assault on Health Workers Prevention Policy across all health institutions with clear accountability mechanisms” and the payment of outstanding pension contributions.
The association further demanded urgent improvements in healthcare infrastructure, equipment and essential medical facilities across the country.
It said poor infrastructure and inadequate equipment were affecting patient safety, healthcare delivery and the training of resident doctors.
Threat of industrial action
Under the resolution, the AGM mandates that the NARD National Executive Council (NEC) “closely monitor” the government’s response over the next two weeks.
The association said it would take “all necessary lawful and constitutionally sanctioned actions”, including further industrial action, if the authorities failed to demonstrate meaningful compliance within the stipulated period.
The latest ultimatum follows several rounds of disputes between resident doctors and the federal government this year.
In January, the doctors suspended a planned nationwide strike scheduled to begin on 12 January after the National Industrial Court restrained the association from embarking on the action, and the government made fresh commitments.
READ ALSO: Resident doctors commend Uba Sani for prioritising healthcare workers’ welfare
In April, resident doctors commenced a nationwide strike over the reversal of the Professional Allowance Table and other outstanding financial obligations. The action was suspended less than 24 hours later following government interventions.
In June, the association issued another 21-day ultimatum over unpaid allowances, salary arrears and delays in the residency training fund.
The resident doctors’ latest ultimatum, therefore, gives the federal government until 1 October to “commence demonstrable implementation of the resolutions contained in this communique.”
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