The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has passed into law a bill establishing a Mental Health Services Department, aimed at strengthening the regulation and delivery of mental healthcare across the state.

The development followed a presentation by Hon. Moses Essien, Chairman of the House Committee on Health, during plenary. Essien noted that the new legislation will provide a coordinated framework for mental health services, safeguard the rights of persons with intellectual, psychosocial, and cognitive disabilities, and enhance access to quality mental healthcare, rehabilitation, and community-based treatment.

Key provisions of the law include guidelines for obtaining consent for treatment, granting the Commissioner for Health the authority to formulate necessary regulations, and repealing the outdated Lunacy Law of 1916.

Essien commended the Speaker and members of the Assembly for their support, urging colleagues to adopt the committee’s recommendations. Following deliberations, the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole for a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill. The committee report was adopted, and the bill passed its third reading.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Udeme Otong, formally announced the bill’s passage after a motion for adoption by Hon. Jerry Otu, seconded by Hon. Prince Aniefiok Attah. The Speaker also directed the Clerk of the House, Mrs. NsiakakAbasi Orok, to transmit the resolution to the State Governor for assent.

The bill had earlier passed its second reading on March 10, 2026, before being referred to the committee for detailed scrutiny. In line with legislative procedure, the committee conducted a public hearing on March 23, 2026, inviting memoranda from stakeholders across the health sector.

The enactment of this law represents a significant step forward in modernizing mental healthcare in Akwa Ibom, replacing a century-old legislation with a framework aligned to contemporary health standards.