Governor Uba Sani has made mental health a basic human right by enacting the Kaduna State Mental Health Law on September 18, 2025, to replace the outdated Lunacy Act of 1958.

The law protects every citizen living with a mental health condition against discrimination and guarantees access to quality care, as well as restores dignity to those who have long been ignored.

The deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, disclosed this while delivering a keynote address at a public lecture during the 2025 World Mental Health Day on Friday, which was organised by the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna.

Dr Balarabe further disclosed that Governor Uba Sani has “transformed the former Bureau for Substance Abuse into Kaduna State Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (KADSAMHSA).”

According to her, KADSAMHSA now “coordinates care for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in a unified, humane system,” adding that “this is not only an administrative reform; it is a moral statement.”

The deputy governor, who is a medical doctor, said that Kaduna State has trained and graduated the first cohort of 100 clinicians, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists from 10 general hospitals under the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme.

She argued that with this policy initiative, “care has moved from isolation to integration, from centralization to community, and from exclusion to inclusion.”

Dr Balarabe recalled that in 2024, the Kaduna State government recognised the emotional burden that accompanies pregnancy and childbirth through a technical working group on perinatal mental health.

“By integrating screening into maternal and child health services, we reached women who might otherwise have suffered in silence. This initiative is saving lives, restoring families, and giving voice to many who once felt invisible,” she said, adding that “these efforts are part of a broader reform that embeds mental health into our primary health care system.”

Dr Balarabe commended the partnership among KADSAMHSA, the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, the Ministry of Health, and the State Primary Health Care Board, describing it as a model for partnership and “proof that progress is possible when policy, professionalism, and compassion move in the same direction.”

The deputy governor revealed that Kaduna State plans to extend mental health services to “all 30 general hospitals and every ward-level primary healthcare, including our 23 designated centres of excellence. We are also working with KADCHMA to make mental health care covered and affordable under the Contributory Health Scheme.”

Dr Balarabe called on all tiers of government, development partners, civil society organisations, faith leaders, and the private sector to lend support, resources, and influence to mental health issues.

The deputy governor commended Dr Aisha Yushau Armiyau, the chief medical director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, for her impeccable leadership, professionalism, and dedication, which continue to shine as an example of excellence.

“She embodies what it means to lead with skill, with vision, and with a heart. She is not only delivering results but also inspiring confidence in the health care system and doing women professionals proud as a remarkable role model,” she added.

Dr Balarabe also commended the director-general of KADSAMHSA, Dr Joe Ike, for his purposeful leadership and for working with likeminds “who share the same spirit of service, compassion, and professionalism.”