World Mental Health Day: Lois and Innocent Foundation Renews Call for Disability-Inclusive Mental Health Care in Nigeria
Editor
The Lois and Innocent Foundation has renewed calls for a disability-inclusive mental health agenda in Nigeria, urging government and humanitarian actors to prioritize the needs of women and girls with disabilities in crisis and emergency situations.
The appeal came on Friday during a press conference in Abuja organized by the Lois and Innocent Institute (LII) in collaboration with the Network of Women with Disabilities (NWD) and Cedar Seed Foundation (CSF) to mark World Mental Health Day 2025, urging government agencies and partners to ensure that mental health interventions in emergencies are accessible to all, regardless of physical or sensory disabilities.
Speaking at the event themed “Mental Health in Humanitarian Emergencies,” with the sub-theme “Inclusive Mental Health Agenda for Women and Girls with Disabilities,” Co-Founder and Co-CEO of LII, Lois Auta, described mental health as “not a luxury, but a necessity.”
“Millions of Nigerians, especially those displaced by conflict, insecurity, or disaster, continue to live in the shadows of trauma and neglect. Among them, women and girls with disabilities remain some of the most invisible, unheard, and unsupported,” Auta said.
She emphasized that inclusion must go beyond rhetoric to tangible action.
“The fight for inclusion must extend to the mind, not just the body. Mental health care must be inclusive always. No woman should be excluded because of steps she cannot climb or a voice she cannot hear.”
The event, which brought together mental health advocates, women’s rights groups, and members of the press, spotlighted the urgent need for a nationally coordinated, disability-inclusive mental health response, particularly in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and other emergency contexts.
Auta noted that most humanitarian interventions still treat mental health as a secondary concern, adding that when it is addressed at all, disability inclusion is rarely considered.
Auta noted that most humanitarian interventions still treat mental health as a secondary concern and that, even when addressed, disability inclusion is rarely considered.
The groups issued a joint call to action, urging Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and the National Emergency Management Agency to integrate disability-inclusive strategies into all mental health and emergency response frameworks.
Auta further urged the training of more disability-aware mental health professionals, the improvement of accessibility in health centers and psychosocial support hubs, and the expansion of data collection on the mental health experiences of women and girls with disabilities.
“Without data, their struggles remain invisible in national reports and budgets,” the coalition warned.
The organizations also stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma surrounding both mental health and disability.
“We must use radio, social media, and grassroots platforms to normalize conversations about mental wellness Healing begins when we feel seen. Inclusion begins when we are heard. And progress begins when society learns to care for both the body and the mind,”Auta added.
In closing, the partners reaffirmed their commitment to advancing inclusive policies and systems that protect the mental well-being of all Nigerians, especially those in vulnerable conditions.
“We envision a future where women and girls with disabilities are not merely recipients of aid but active participants in designing mental health solutions, Inclusion without participation is just another form of exclusion,”Auta stated.
