Former Anambra Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has praised the Seraphic Homes Foundation for establishing a N600 million psychiatric hospital and elderly care facility in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area, calling it a strategic effort to address mental health challenges and care for senior citizens.

Obi, in a statement released by his media aide, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, described the initiative by the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach Ministry (ZPMOM), led by Spiritual Director Evangelist Chukwuebuka Anozie Obi, as a “noble initiative to serve humanity.” He said the facility complemented ongoing state investments in mental health, referencing the modernization of the state-owned Nawfia Psychiatric Hospital in Njikoka LGA.

“Mental health should be taken seriously. Facilities like these are critical for societies that genuinely care for their people,” Obi said. “Psychiatric hospitals are not a source of stigma but a demonstration of societal commitment to human dignity.”

Obi noted that the hospital’s establishment aligns with recent World Health Organisation (WHO) data, which shows that over 20 million Nigerians currently experience mental health challenges due to economic stress, social pressures, and other factors. He also expressed concern over rising drug abuse among youths, advocating for secondary school excursions to psychiatric facilities to raise awareness of the dangers of substance abuse.

He further lauded the free elderly care component of the facility, saying it restores dignity to senior citizens often neglected in society. “Caring for the aged is not merely charity; it is a moral duty and a true measure of a society’s humanity,” Obi said.

The hospital was inaugurated on Friday by Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo. The facility is designed to provide comprehensive psychiatric care at no cost to patients, including diagnosis, treatment, medication, rehabilitation, accommodation, and welfare services. Ebuka Obi, the foundation’s director, said the project was a vision from his childhood aimed at touching lives across Nigeria.

“This facility is about impacting lives, providing hope to those struggling with mental illness, and giving our elders a place of care and respect,” Ebuka Obi said. “We plan to expand these services nationwide.”

Obi commended the foundation for its commitment to mental health and elderly care, urging other private and public organizations to increase focus on similar interventions across the country. The psychiatric hospital in Aguleri is expected to become fully operational starting in October.

NAN reports that just five months ago, the foundation opened a combined orphanage and elderly care home in Mgbirichi, Owerri, Imo State, reflecting its ongoing efforts to provide social welfare services in multiple regions.