Est. Nigeria
More than the population of Canada.
"Getting support changed everything for me."
Community member, Lagos
Mental Health Foundation of Nigeria · Est. 2007
We're building a Nigeria
where no one
suffers in silence.
Mental health is real. The pressure is real.
More Nigerians are struggling quietly than we admit.
We are here to change that.
The Numbers Behind the Silence
The data reveals
what silence has hidden.
Nigeria is facing a mental health crisis that policy, culture, and underfunding have allowed to grow in the dark. These are the facts we cannot ignore.
Let's be
honest.
In many Nigerian homes, mental health is still deeply misunderstood.
People are told to be strong. To pray. That others have it worse.
So people keep quiet. They show up every day, but inside they are overwhelmed. They carry stress, anxiety, and depression alone.
This silence is the real problem.
They carry it alone, every day.
This silence is the real problem.
"Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all."
Bill Clinton · This is still happening on Nigerian streets today
Our Story
18 years of refusing to be silent.
Founded in Lagos in 2007, MHFN has grown from a small team with a clear mission into a nationally recognised force for change. Scroll through the chapters.
Where it all began.
A small team in Lagos decided that Nigeria could no longer afford its silence on mental health. With no large budget, no government mandate, and no guarantee of success, they started anyway. That decision became the Mental Health Foundation of Nigeria.
Early collaboration with Development Information Center and UNICEF, bringing mental health to a national platform
The founding executive team of the Mental Health Awareness Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria
Taking it to the streets.
The first World Mental Health Day commemoration under MHFN. The theme was Mental Health in Primary Care. For the first time, the conversation moved from conference rooms into communities, hospitals, and public spaces across Lagos.
2009 World Mental Health Day: "Mental Health in Primary Care" — the first major public commemoration by MHFN
Government takes notice.
A landmark year. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola addressed the 2011 World Mental Health Day event — official recognition that MHFN's relentless advocacy was being heard at the highest levels. The 2010 march at the National Library had built undeniable momentum.
Governor Babatunde Fashola addresses the 2011 World Mental Health Day commemoration in Lagos
2010 World Mental Health Day march at the National Library, Herbert Macaulay Road, Lagos
2011 WMHDay theme: "Great Push — Investing in Mental Health." Dignity, Rights and Recovery.
Building the framework.
Partnerships deepened with international bodies and government health ministries. The 2012 theme "Making the Connection" brought depression and co-morbidity to Nigeria's health conversation for the first time. By 2013, MHFN had become a credible stakeholder at the national table.
2012 WMHDay Workshop: "Making the Connection — Depression and Co-morbidity: A Global Crisis"
2013 World Mental Health Day event at the Lagos State Ministry of Health — YES4MentalHealth
Schools, hospitals, communities.
The YES4MentalHealth initiative launched. School outreach programs expanded across Lagos and into Benin City. Formal conferences at LUTH brought together medical professionals and policymakers. The official inauguration in October 2014 set the institutional foundation for a new era.
October 2014: Inauguration of the Mental Health Awareness Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria
2014 conference at Lagos University Teaching Hospital — bringing professionals and policymakers together
2015 YES4MentalHealth World Mental Health Day — volunteers, booklets, and community outreach
A movement grows nationwide.
From Lagos to Benin City and beyond. School programs, care projects, media campaigns, and sustained policy engagement. The foundation has grown from a small Lagos advocacy group into a nationally recognised institution. 18 years in, the work continues.
The growing MHFN volunteer and professional network — the green team that carried the mission forward
2016 World Mental Health Day march at Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba — "Dignity in Mental Health"
YES4MentalHealth Care Project expanding to Benin City — community outreach and media coverage
Who We Are
We exist to
break that silence.
Founded in Lagos in 2007, the Mental Health Foundation of Nigeria does not just talk about mental health. We act on it, through education, advocacy, safe spaces, and direct community support for over 18 years. Because change begins with understanding, and understanding begins with an honest conversation.
Our Work
Four key focus areas.
Everything we do is designed to create lasting, measurable change in individuals, families, and Nigerian society.
Advocacy
Changing how mental health is seen and discussed across Nigeria, in homes, workplaces, schools, and government. We push for systemic change so that seeking help is never seen as weakness.
Learn moreEducation
Workshops, school outreach programs, and public awareness campaigns that build real understanding and reduce stigma at every level of society.
Community Support
Creating safe, judgment-free spaces where Nigerians can have honest conversations, access resources, and find the guidance they need.
Learn moreResearch and Collaboration
Working with institutions and stakeholders to generate evidence and improve mental health systems across Nigeria. Our approach is data-led, people-centred, and built for lasting impact.
Learn moreOur Impact
Every number
is a real person.
Since 2007, behind every number is a real person. People who once felt completely alone, who now feel seen, heard, and supported.
Families Reached
Outreach Events
and Guided
People who once felt completely alone in their struggles, overwhelmed by what they could not name, now feel seen, heard, and supported. That is why this work must never stop.
Human Stories
Everyday experiences.
Real voices from within our communities. People who remind us why this work matters and must never stop.
I did not understand what I was feeling. I just knew something was wrong. Nobody around me had the language for it either.
I was told to ignore it, but it kept getting worse. No one around me understood. I did not know where to turn or who to trust.
Getting support changed everything for me. I wish I had known sooner that it was available. That I was not alone in this.
These are everyday experiences in Nigerian society. And they remind us why this work matters.
18 Years of Action
On the ground, in the rooms that matter.
From school halls in Yaba to government chambers in Abuja, from public marches to hospital conferences. Wherever the conversation needed to happen, MHFN showed up.
Governor Fashola addresses WMHDay 2011
The MHFN volunteer team
2013 Lagos WMHDay event
School outreach — Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls School
2016 WMHDay march — Yaba
2012: Making the Connection workshop
Why It Matters
Mental health
affects everything.
Ignoring it does not make it go away. It shapes the quality of every hour of every day, our focus, our joy, and our relationships.
Understanding it changes everything.
How We Think
Our mental wellbeing shapes our clarity, our decision-making, and our ability to process the world around us each day.
How We Work
Unaddressed challenges reduce productivity, focus, and our sense of professional purpose and fulfilment.
How We Relate
Family bonds, friendships, and community connections are all shaped deeply by our emotional and mental state.
How We Live
Mental health is woven into every moment, from how we wake up to how we face each challenge that life presents.
Get Involved
Find your place
in this movement.
There are different ways to be part of the change. Choose the path that speaks to you.
Need support or guidance?
Access Resources
You do not have to navigate this alone. Find information, guidance, and a community that understands exactly what you are going through right now.
Access ResourcesWant to make an impact?
Volunteer With Us
Join a growing community of Nigerians committed to changing how we talk about and handle mental health. Your time and passion matter more than you know.
Become a VolunteerWant to support the mission?
Donate
Your contribution helps us reach more individuals, run more programs, and build a mentally healthier Nigeria. Every gift creates real, lasting change for real people.
Donate NowA mentally healthy Nigeria is possible
Change starts with
awareness. It grows
through action.
It starts with the conversations we have avoided for too long. Let us have them together.
A mentally healthy Nigeria starts with you.