Governor Uba Sani Signs Mental Health Law, Declares Mental Wellbeing a Basic Human Right in Kaduna
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Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has signed the Kaduna State Mental Health Law, officially declaring mental health a basic human right in the state.
The law, enacted on September 18, 2025, replaces the colonial-era Lunacy Act of 1958 and establishes a modern legal framework that protects citizens living with mental health conditions from discrimination, guarantees access to quality care, and restores dignity to affected individuals.
Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Balarabe disclosed this on Friday while delivering a keynote address at a public lecture to mark the 2025 World Mental Health Day, organized by the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna.
Dr. Balarabe revealed that the governor had transformed the Bureau for Substance Abuse into the Kaduna State Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (KADSAMHSA) — a unified body to coordinate care for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders.
“This is not only an administrative reform; it is a moral statement,” she said.
The Deputy Governor, a medical doctor, also announced that 100 clinicians, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists from 10 General Hospitals have been trained and graduated under the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme, marking a major milestone in the state’s health sector.
According to her, the state’s approach has shifted “from isolation to integration, from centralization to community, from exclusion to inclusion.”
Dr. Balarabe further recalled that in 2024, Kaduna established a Technical Working Group on Perinatal Mental Health, integrating screening into maternal and child health services. She noted that the initiative has saved lives and supported women struggling with emotional challenges after childbirth.
She praised the partnership among KADSAMHSA, the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, the Ministry of Health, and the State Primary Health Care Board, describing it as proof that “progress is possible when policy, professionalism, and compassion move in the same direction.”
Dr. Balarabe announced plans to extend mental health services to all 30 General Hospitals and every Primary Health Centre across the 23 local government areas, while also working with KADCHMA to make mental health care affordable under the state’s health insurance scheme.
She commended Dr. Aisha Yushau Armiyau, Chief Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, for her leadership and dedication, and Dr. Joe Ike, Director General of KADSAMHSA, for his “purposeful leadership and compassion-driven service.”
“These reforms are embedding mental health into Kaduna’s primary healthcare system. We are proving that good governance is not just about infrastructure, but also about human dignity,” she added.
