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

By Sola Ogundipe

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...