…..As Vanguard summit holds today

By Sola Ogundipe

Nigeria’s response to the mental health challenges facing its young people comes under fresh scrutiny today as policymakers, psychiatrists, health professionals, security and correctional authorities, regulators, media and other stakeholders converge in Lagos for the 4th Vanguard Mental Health Summit holding at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The summit, organised by Vanguard Media Limited, comes against growing concerns over depression, suicide, substance abuse, anxiety, trauma, social isolation and the mounting psychological pressures confronting young Nigerians online and offline.

With the theme, “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria through Access, Action and Advocacy,” and sub-theme, “Mental Health in a Digital Age: Navigating Social Media, Technology and Wellbeing,” the gathering is expected to move the conversation beyond awareness and confront the more difficult issues of access to care, early intervention, treatment, rehabilitation and accountability.

At the centre of the discussion is the question of what happens when a young Nigerian needs mental healthcare but cannot find, afford or access it. Beyond the expert presentations, the summit is expected to confront the gap between Nigeria’s mental health policies and the experience of young people who actually need care.

Chief Host of the summit is Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, while the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd.) are Special G inuests of Honour.

The forum will be chaired by Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and the Controller of Corrections, Lagos State Command, Nigerian Correctional Service, Mr Daramola George are special guests.

Other stakeholders that will feature are President of the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria, Dr. Veronica Oluyemisi Nyamali; Professor Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, Professor of Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Prof. Mashudat Bello-Mojeed, Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health, as well as senior officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, mental health practitioners, academics, development partners, civil society organisations, youth representatives and educators.

Nyamali will deliver the keynote address, while Sheikh will speak on “Mental Health as Our Social Capital.” The President of the Nigerian Medical Association will speak on “Making Youth Mental Health Everyone’s Business: From Policy to Practice,” bringing the perspective of the nation’s umbrella body for medical practitioners to discussions on how mental health policies can translate into practical support and services for young Nigerians.

A major panel session, “Who Takes Responsibility for Young People’s Mental Health?”, will examine the roles of government, families, schools, healthcare providers, communities, civil society and technology platforms in preventing young people from reaching crisis points.

The summit will also examine substance abuse and its intersection with the justice system and other attendant effects. Technology’s growing role in mental healthcare will also come under scrutiny, including the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in treating common mental health conditions among young people who do not respond adequately to conventional treatment.

As the stakeholders gather, health commentators note that the question is no longer whether Nigeria has a youth mental health problem, rather, the question is whether its institutions are ready to take responsibility for tackling it. Their participation underscores how deeply mental health now cuts across substance abuse, public safety, the justice system, correctional services and drug regulation.