Elderly Nigerians face high rates of mental health conditions which the healthcare system fails to diagnose because it lacks sufficient resources to operate effectively. The study examined 384 elderly participants who lived in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, to determine their mental health problems and their ability to obtain mental health treatment. The researchers used a multi-stage sampling method to recruit study participants. The Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) was used to assess depression and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to evaluate anxiety. The results showed that 38.5% of respondents experienced depression while 24.7% experienced anxiety. Only 21.4% of people studied had ever visited a mental health professional. The research identified financial difficulties as the main barrier, which affected 73.2% of participants, while 61.8% faced stigma and 54.3% encountered problems with accessing distant locations. The study found that female sex and widowhood status, together with low educational attainment and lack of social support, constitute major factors which lead to depression. The study results demonstrate that health services in Nigeria need urgent implementation of mental health services for elderly people through primary healthcare systems and community programmes, which should include educational initiatives to combat stigma in Calabar and all Nigerian communities.