The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has passed a bill establishing a Mental Health Services Department to regulate and improve mental healthcare delivery across the state, replacing a law that dates back over a century
The legislation sailed through third reading during plenary held at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Chamber, Government House, Uyo, on Tuesday, after the House Committee Chairman on Health, Moses Essien, presented the committee’s report.
The bill had earlier passed its second reading before being referred to the committee for detailed scrutiny. A public hearing was held on March 23, 2026, where stakeholders in the health sector were invited to submit memoranda.
Essien said the new law provides a coordinated framework for mental health services in the state and will replace the outdated Lunacy Law of 1916.
“This new law will safeguard the rights of persons with intellectual, psychosocial, and cognitive disabilities as well as improve access to quality mental healthcare, rehabilitation, and community-based treatment,” he said.
