Vanguard summit: Mental health neglect threatens Nigeria’s stability – Sheikh

Nigeria’s neglect of mental health is threatening social stability, weakening public trust and deepening despair among young people struggling with insecurity, and diminishing their confidence in the future, Professor Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, a leading psychiatrist, has warned.

Sheikh, a professor of psychiatry and psychopharmacology, at the Department of Psychiatry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, called on the Federal Government to implement the National Mental Health Act 2021 and expand access to affordable care, particularly at the community level, warning that untreated psychological distress could weaken families, fracture communities and erode confidence in public institutions.

Speaking at the 4th Vanguard Mental Health Summit held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Sheikh said in a presentation titled “Mental Health as Social Capital: The Hidden Wealth of Nations” that mental wellbeing was fundamental to the trust, relationships and cooperation societies need to function.

He described mental health as one of the most neglected areas of healthcare, particularly in Africa and Nigeria, where inadequate investment has constrained access to services, especially community-based care.

“Nigeria faces a serious social capital crisis. We are a nation of about 230 million people, with a large youth population, yet our social indicators raise troubling questions about trust, cohesion and confidence in the future. Low trust in institutions and tensions between communities weaken the relationships that hold society together,” he said.

Sheikh identified insecurity, family breakdown, substance misuse and the growing desire among young Nigerians to leave the country as issues that must be understood beyond their immediate economic and social dimensions.

“When you live in survival mode, you cannot plan for tomorrow. The growing desire among young Nigerians to leave the country is not only an economic or migration issue. For some, it also reflects a loss of confidence in the future.

“Family breakdown and substance use, including the misuse of codeine and other psychoactive substances, must also be understood in context. They can reflect deeper psychological distress.”

He warned that prolonged exposure to violence and trauma could undermine the trust and social bonds needed to rebuild communities and sustain development.

“Consider a child who grows up in Kaduna witnessing killings and receiving no psychological support. That child may become an adult living with hypervigilance and deep mistrust. How will such an adult trust the state? How will that person nurture the next generation?” he asked.

According to Sheikh, the consequences of insecurity extend beyond deaths, displacement and property losses to include lasting psychological harm that can affect how survivors relate to others, engage with institutions and raise their families.

On the way forward, he said: “First, we must strengthen the mental health system and expand access to affordable, quality care, particularly at the community level. Second, we must implement the National Mental Health Act 2021 rather than allow its provisions to remain largely on paper. Third, we must ensure that attempted suicide is no longer treated as a criminal offence and that people in crisis receive appropriate care and support.”

Further, Sheikh stressed that mental health should be treated as a national and humanitarian priority, with services available close to where people live rather than concentrated in specialist facilities.

He also cautioned against viewing mental wellbeing solely through its economic benefits, noting that untreated mental health conditions could affect education, employment, productivity and quality of life, while access to care could produce benefits for individuals and society.

“The bridge between poverty and prosperity is not infrastructure alone, it requires mental health. The bridge between conflict and peace is not negotiation alone, it also requires trauma healing and reconciliation,” he said.

Explaining the relationship between mental health and social capital, Sheikh noted “Psychological wellbeing could help people build relationships, participate in community life and cooperate with others. In turn, supportive family ties, friendships and wider social networks could reduce loneliness, provide emotional support and help people cope with adversity.

“The relationship works both ways. Mental health can help generate social capital, while social capital can support mental wellbeing,” he said, adding that supportive relationships and access to opportunities were essential to ensuring that people could benefit from these connections.

“Without mental health, there is no sustainable social development. Without social capital, there is no development, and without development, there is no lasting prosperity,” he said.