A leading psychiatrist has cautioned that Nigeria risks undermining its economic growth and national security if urgent investments are not made in the mental well-being of its children and adolescents.
Professors Omigbodun
Delivering the 592nd Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ibadan (UI), titled, “Our Children’s Mental Health, Our Nation’s Wealth”, Professor Olayinka Olusola Omigbodun of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (UI), described children’s mental health as “the most critical but overlooked component of nation-building.”
She argued that the increasing number of street children in the South and the persistence of the Almajiri system in the North are not just social concerns but potential triggers for future crises, warning that “today’s neglected child could become tomorrow’s social problem.”
UI VC, Prof Kayode Adebowale, adjusting Prof Olayinka Omigbodun’s cap
According to her, early exposure to abuse, poverty, neglect, and cultural practices that undermine children’s well-being leave deep psychological scars, manifesting in depression, aggression, impulsiveness, and risky behaviour.
“These outcomes erode the nation’s brain capital, destroy productivity, and create fertile ground for social instability,” she stressed.
Omigbodun revealed that three out of four mental disorders that persist into adulthood begin between ages 12 and 24, underscoring the need for preventive measures.
She stressed that Nigeria’s youthful population, a potential economic asset, could become a liability without deliberate policies on child and adolescent mental health.
Calling for a cultural shift, she urged communities to abandon harmful practices disguised as tradition or religion and instead promote values that strengthen children’s emotional stability.
She also advocated the integration of mental health into all child health programmes, noting that “there is no health without mental health.”
