By Atlantic Reports

Consultant psychiatrist Prof. Taiwo Sheikh has urged Nigeria to treat mental health as a foundation for community wellbeing and national development, saying its importance extends beyond healthcare to trust, cooperation and productive social relationships.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Vanguard Mental Health Summit in Lagos on Friday, Sheikh said mental health was often viewed primarily as a healthcare cost rather than an investment in people’s ability to learn, work and participate in society.

Sheikh, of the Department of Psychiatry at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Africa Lead at Lifeline International, linked psychological wellbeing to the networks, trust and shared values collectively described as social capital.

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

He argued that mental health support could strengthen relationships and help people participate meaningfully in community life.

Supporting communities affected by trauma

Sheikh said depression, anxiety and unresolved trauma could affect productivity, strain relationships and make social participation more difficult.

He identified insecurity, substance abuse, family breakdown and hopelessness among young people as challenges requiring attention to psychological wellbeing alongside economic and social interventions.

Communities affected by violence and displacement, he said, needed appropriate mental health support as part of their recovery.

He warned that unaddressed trauma could deepen mistrust and weaken relationships between citizens and institutions.

His call placed mental health within the wider task of rebuilding communities, where recovery involves both physical infrastructure and support for people living with the consequences of traumatic experiences.

Closing gaps in access to care

Sheikh described mental health as a neglected area of healthcare, particularly in Africa, citing limited funding, inadequate facilities and shortages of professionals as barriers to essential services.

He said investment could bring benefits through improved productivity, better educational outcomes, stronger relationships and greater community resilience.

The psychiatrist called for stronger mental health services in Nigeria, implementation of the National Mental Health Act and the decriminalisation of attempted suicide to improve access to care and protect affected people’s rights.

These were policy demands, rather than an account of measures already delivered. He did not provide a funding proposal or implementation timetable in the remarks supplied.

Wellbeing as a development priority

Sheikh urged governments, communities and individuals to give mental health greater attention, arguing that psychological resilience deserved consideration alongside roads, buildings and other physical infrastructure.

“If we want a Nigeria where we trust each other, where we cooperate, where we believe in the future, we must heal minds,” he said.

He maintained that mental health should be recognised as a public concern with implications for social cohesion, peaceful coexistence and national prosperity.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.