A BBC article documents a colonial-era law which sets forth that the mentally ill are jailed;

Usually they have committed no crime, or very minor ones that may not merit a custodial sentence anywhere else in the world.

But the colonial-era law allows Nigerian courts to jail the mentally ill.

Prisoners' Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (Prawa) is an organisation working to get "civil lunatics" released from Nigeria's jails.

Locking Up Nigeria's 'civil' lunatics'

An interesting, yet depressing, read. Sometimes I think so many countries are 'behind the times'. But then when I think about it more, each country lives in it's own time.

Do we owe it to countries like Nigeria to step in and encourage change or should each country progress at it's own rate?

You raise a very difficult ethical question in terms of others stepping in to "help". When I think of North American history and the cases where the more "civilized" population tried to "help" the First Nations peoples and Inuit, the results were far from something to be proud about. Based on this, I am more inclined to say let others progress at their own rate. However, when out-right cases of genocide are occurring, that is definitely another story.

In the case of Nigeria, it is good to see that Prawa is at least having some positive effect. Change is usually a slow process...

I completely agree. Unless it's a very extreme case, like genocide as you pointed out, I think 'we' should keep to ourselves. Each society changes and progresses as it is meant to. Though some people have an idea that Westernized societies are the model societies for the world, I think that is very untrue.

I think ultimately, no matter which country in the world, it's quite sad to hear about these kinds of injustices happening to people so helpless.