By Sani Idris Abdulrahman 

The Executive Director of the BEACON of Transformative and Inclusive Development Center, a Kaduna-based NGO, Mrs Abigail Olatunde, has said that mental health is not a luxury, but a universal human right, as essential to human dignity as food, shelter, and safety. 

In a statement issued to newsmen on Saturday in Kaduna, commemorating the World Mental Health Day, Olatunde emphasised that well-being depends on both physical and mental health.

The theme for the years’ world mental health day is: “Mental Health Is a Universal Human Right”.

She noted that mental health is often misunderstood and treated narrowly, hidden behind stigma or discussed in whispers.

She explained that The BEACON views it as shaped by systems around people, not just brain chemistry.

She added that poverty, discrimination, exclusion, and violence are not just social challenges but core mental health issues that demand attention, compassion, and justice from policymakers and communities alike.

Olatunde also explained that the biopsychosocial model helps communities see that health is not purely biological. 

According to her,  biology, psychology, and social context work together to determine well-being and resilience.

She said ignoring any of the dimensions means treating symptoms rather than people. 

The Executive Director, cited examples of individuals whose struggles stem from systemic injustices, not personal weakness or failure.

She emphasised that healing required justice as much as medicine.

She emphasised that a woman facing discrimination, a child displaced by conflict, or a father battling poverty all deserve holistic care and inclusion.

She said access to mental health care in Nigeria remains unequal, with most facilities located in cities and rural communities left behind. 

“People with disabilities and caregivers are often excluded from care. many schools lack trained counselors and  mental health funding makes up less than one per cent of total health budgets in developing countries. This us a lack of priority, not capacity,”she lamented.

Olatunde said the cost of neglect is evident in broken families, lost lives, and generations burdened by trauma. 

She stressed that healing must include transforming the social conditions that contribute to poor mental health.

She noted that protecting mental health requires systems built on equity, inclusion, and compassion. 

She, therefore, called for integrating mental health care into primary health systems to reach both rural and urban communities.

She added that teachers and community health workers should be trained to recognise distress early and provide timely support to those in need before crises escalate.

She said psychosocial support must be extended to persons with disabilities, displaced families, and caregivers who often face compounded emotional and social burdens.

She noted that funding public education campaigns would help challenge stigma and normalise seeking help, while supportive policies and workplaces can nurture mental well-being.

Olatunde emphasised that awareness alone is not enough. 

“Real progress, comes when societies build systems that make strength possible, rather than expecting individuals to endure in silence”.

She restated the BEACON’s commitment to promoting inclusion, advocacy, and social protection for mental health, noting that true wellness thrives where people are seen, supported, and valued.

“A healthy society is not one without illness, but one where everyone,  regardless of diagnosis or difference can live and heal with dignity,”Olatunde said.