NewzBy Cynthia Alo Nigeria lacks adequate specialists and facilities to manage mental illnesses, the Lagos State Government has said, calling for a shift towards preventive mental healthcare to address growing mental health challenges, particularly among young people. The State’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made the remarks at the 4th edition of Vanguard Media Limited Mental Health Summit held in Lagos on Friday, with the theme, “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria.”Abayomi, who was represented by the Director , Special Projects and Mental Health at the state Ministry of Health, said the growing willingness of young people to speak openly about their mental health struggles had created an opportunity to address the challenges.He, however, stressed that awareness must be matched with adequate support, preventive measures and locally relevant information.“We don’t have enough beds to manage mental illnesses.
We don’t have enough specialists to manage mental illnesses. Even when you expand the number of providers, it will still not be enough to match the bodies,” he said.The commissioner noted that young Nigerians were increasingly discussing anxiety, emotional distress and other personal struggles, including on social media, but warned that the information they consumed online could expose them to ideas and expectations that might not reflect their local realities. He said the expansion of digital access had connected young Nigerians to the wider world but had also increased their exposure to foreign lifestyles, values and social expectations.
Abayomi illustrated the challenge with the example of a 10-year-old child in Yaba, Lagos, comparing their life with that of a child of the same age in California, United States, despite the differences in their social and cultural environments. He said excessive screen time and exposure to online content could influence young people’s perceptions of themselves and their circumstances. The commissioner also expressed concern that some children were growing up without sufficient knowledge of their immediate environment, arguing that parents, schools and other institutions needed to provide guidance that reflected the realities of Nigerian society.
“Our children are lacking social intelligence and local intelligence. The people who are supposed to teach them are no longer teaching them. Lagos State Government has raised concerns over the impact of social media and foreign influences on children’s mental health, calling for stronger preventive measures and improved parental guidance to protect young people.
Tolu Ajomale, who represented the state’s Commissioner for Health at Vanguard’s Mental Health Summit in Lagos on Friday, said children were increasingly exposed to information and ideas that might not reflect their local realities. He warned that unrestricted access to global content could influence how young Nigerians perceive themselves and cope with life’s challenges. “Opening access also means introducing foreign concepts,” Ajomale said, explaining that a 10-year-old child in Yaba, Lagos, could compare themselves with a child of the same age in California despite their different backgrounds and environments.
He noted that young people were becoming more open about their emotional struggles, including anxiety, anger and dissatisfaction with life, but stressed the need to provide appropriate support and guidance. Ajomale recalled interacting with secondary school pupils who expressed concerns about their lives and achievements despite their young ages. I haven’t done much with my life,’” he recounted, highlighting the need for adults to listen to children without judging them.
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