Mental Health Challenges in Nigeria

Monday mornings are not very pleasant for me. This is because sometimes I just wish my weekends were longer, or maybe my weekdays were shorter. I recently read an article about some advocacy for fewer weekdays and I fear Nigeria for one, will not be the first to adopt that, unfortunately. So, my dread for Monday mornings may continue for a while until something gives. 

So, on my way to work this morning, racing against time as usual, I alight from the very last taxi from whence I would walk down the crescent leading to the office. As I begin the ‘long walk to ...’, I notice something strange happening ahead of me. There are three men on the stretch of road: one barefooted, wearing a white robe and ahead of the other two. The second is holding what seems like a long rod or stick, and the last one is hustling behind the stick-wielding one. 

The one cloaked in what looks like an ‘aladura’ robe, charges on in my direction. He is holding something like a rope and is tying it around his waist, like he’s making a belt out of it. I don’t stop walking but try to analyze the situation carefully. I don’t recognize the man with the stick, but he is saying something that really didn’t matter to me at the time. I recognize the person behind him. 

Then I thought, what if the man they are after charges at me? I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time. One almost accosted me last week when I got off a vehicle. He was asking for N50, so I quickly collected my N50 balance from the driver and jolted off. Gone are the days I’d give my money out anyhow, with the new knowledge I have about how some persons use the money they’ve begged for to buy ‘igbo’. 

I slow down a bit, watch the guy as he marches forward. He moves from the middle of the road to my side, looking at something on the ground as he did. As he moves to my side, I instinctively move to the opposite side. For one second, I assume he is looking for something to pick up and attack me with. Lo and behold, it is a pile of cow dung he gets to and does the most unbelievable thing. At first, I assume he’s going to pick it up, but no, he steps on the dung with his barefoot, and motions as though he’s crushing it. Then he marches on. 

I now notice the man with the stick is kicking something. I greet him and ignore the fact that he ignores my greeting. I look at the tarred road to see a phone battery spinning from the aftermath of the man’s kick. I greet the third man; he responds with a frown on his face. This being quite unusual, I suspect the early event has unsettled him. 

I continue my walk to see another familiar face. I ask him if the guy (obviously referring to the white cloaked young man) was okay. He responds in the negative, saying “He’s not okay”.  I don’t probe further since time isn’t my friend. I get to the gate and see two other familiar faces laughing and talking about how the young man apparently came around to make some ridiculous request (details withheld). 

So, it is adjudged that this man ‘is not okay’, but question is, did he do something else to warrant the hot chase? Who knows?! 

It only occurs to me as I sit in the office editing some audio recording and monitoring the conversations on air at the same time, that that could have been a test or prank to see how we respond to persons with #MentalHealth challenges. How can we even handle such a situation better?

Mental health care for all: can we make it a reality in Nigeria?