By Admin
A young Nigerian is battling addiction. Another is sinking into depression. A third is having suicidal thoughts but cannot find where to turn.
Who steps in?
That question will confront psychiatrists, policymakers, families, schools, civil society groups and mental health advocates as the 4th Vanguard Mental Health Summit opens in Lagos on Friday, October 9, 2026.
The summit, holding at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, will put the question of responsibility at the heart of a high-level panel discussion: “Who is Responsible for the Mental Health of Young People in Nigeria?”
Rather than leaving the burden of care to hospitals and mental health professionals, the discussion will examine what government, families, schools, communities, health workers, civil society and young people themselves must do to prevent mental health problems, intervene early and ensure access to care.
It will also confront the gaps. What happens when a young person needs help but treatment is unavailable or unaffordable? Who responds when substance use spirals into dependence? And when warning signs of suicide are missed, where does responsibility lie?
Moderating the panel is Dr. Ayantunde Kayode Ayankola, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist in Drug and Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta.
The panel brings together Dr. Olufunmilayo Eniola Akinola, Consultant Psychiatrist at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba; Dr. Tolu Ajomale, Director, Special Projects and Mental Health, Lagos State Ministry of Health; Barrister Ayo Adebusoye, Secretary General, Nigeria Network of NGOs; and Deborah Omage, a lived experience leader and mental health policy advocate.
Their perspectives will take the conversation beyond the consulting room, examining mental health through the lenses of policy, community support, human rights and youth participation.
The summit, organised under the theme “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria through Access, Action and Advocacy,” also carries the sub-theme, “Mental Health in a Digital Age: Navigating Social Media, Technology and Wellbeing.”
Youth addiction, suicide prevention, treatment gaps and early intervention are expected to feature prominently, alongside growing concerns over the influence of social media and digital technology on young people's wellbeing.
The keynote will be delivered by Dr. Veronica Oluyemisi Nyamali, President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria and Chief Consultant Psychiatrist at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba.
Prof. Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, Continental Representative for LifeLine International and Professor of Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, will speak on “Mental Health As Our Social Capital,” while Prof. Mashudat Abiola Bello-Mojeed, Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health and Chief Consultant Psychiatrist at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Centre, Yaba, will examine the impact of social media on young people.
The summit will also turn attention to the difficult intersection of substance use and the justice system. Dr. Daniel Ikpechukwu, a substance abuse and behavioural health counsellor based in Georgia, USA, will speak on “Youth Drug Addiction and the Justice System: Advancing Treatment, Rehabilitation and Recovery in Nigeria.”
Prof. Afekhide Ernest Omoti, President of the Nigerian Medical Association, will examine the challenge of translating youth mental health policy into practice, while Dr. Oluwafemi Oluwatayo, Consultant Psychiatrist and CEO of Retreat Healthcare, will demonstrate Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS, a treatment technique used in managing certain mental health conditions.
Since its launch in 2021, the Vanguard Mental Health Summit has provided a platform for mental health professionals, policymakers, civil society organisations, young people and other stakeholders to confront some of the country's most pressing mental health challenges.
The fourth edition comes with a sharper focus on what happens after the diagnosis, the policy and the public conversation: who takes responsibility, who provides support and who acts when a young person begins to struggle?
Those questions will be central to the summit as stakeholders seek to move the youth mental health conversation from concern to concrete action.
No comments:
Post a Comment