By Stanley Onyekwere
In a major boost for the country’s healthcare framework, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through its National Mental Health Programme, has partnered with international experts to accelerate the implementation of Nigeria’s National Mental Health Policy.
The collaborative effort will anchor the upcoming Mental Health & Gender-Based Violence Conference Nigeria 2026, scheduled for October 8–10, 2026, in Abuja.
Unveiled at a press briefing in New York, the three-day summit will operate under the theme, “Invisible Wounds: Understanding Mental Health, Trauma, Gender-Based Violence and Their Impact on Society,” serving as a strategic platform to integrate mental healthcare into Nigeria’s broader public health and economic agendas.
Prominent psychiatrists Dr. Sosunmolu Shoyinka and Dr. Evaristo Akerele have called for an immediate overhaul of how psychological well-being is managed at the grassroots level.
The experts warned that untreated mental health conditions act as a direct drag on national development, severely damaging workforce productivity, educational attainment, and family stability.
To mitigate these economic and social consequences, they urged stakeholders to prioritize early clinical intervention and successfully integrate mental health services directly into Nigeria’s primary healthcare delivery systems.
Ify Ezinwa, Founder and CEO of Echoes Africa Initiatives, a U.S.-based nonprofit co-organizing the event reiterated that clinical well-being is no longer a peripheral issue.
“The emotional toll of insecurity, economic hardship, displacement, substance abuse, and gender-based violence is affecting millions of Nigerians.
“This conference is designed to bring every sector of society together to identify practical, sustainable solutions that strengthen Nigeria’s health system,” Ezinwa stated.
The summit aims to move beyond basic awareness campaigns, shifting the national conversation toward evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery models.
Dr. Theddeus Iheanacho, leader of the American delegation to the conference, noted that sessions will deliver actionable strategies for a wide spectrum of clinical challenges, which include addressing psychological distress in professional environments and maternal care, developing specialized clinical frameworks to manage the psychological impacts of insurgency, kidnapping, and displacement as well as creating robust community-based services for addiction recovery and suicide prevention.
A critical barrier to executing the National Mental Health Policy remains the deep-seated public stigma that prevents individuals from accessing clinical help.
To combat this, the initiative has secured backing from cultural figures, including award-winning Nollywood actor Chinedu Ikedieze, who urged Nigerians to reject the shame associated with medical treatment, stating, “People often see smiles but not the struggles,” and called for a culture that views seeking psychiatric support as a strength rather than a weakness.
The October summit will feature policy dialogues, strategic leadership forums, and specialized technical workshops designed for healthcare professionals, social workers, military personnel, and faith leaders.
The organisers have officially opened registration, inviting development partners, corporate bodies, and philanthropic organizations to join the alliance to secure sustainable financing for Nigeria’s mental health infrastructure.
