…Oyo pledges stronger focus on mental health in emergencies
Shina Fakunle, medical doctor and consultant psychiatrist at Ring Road State Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, has decried fewer psychiatrists serving over 200 million population.
“In Nigeria, fewer than 300 psychiatrists serve a population of over 200 million. We must integrate mental health into primary, secondary, and tertiary care to close the treatment gap”, he said.
Delivering the keynote lecture to commemorate the 2025 World Mental Health Day with the theme “Access to Services Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies”, Fakunle emphasised the urgent need for improved access to mental health services in Nigeria.
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. There is no health without mental health,” he said.
Fakunle identified stigma as one of the greatest barriers to mental health care, called for public awareness and policy reforms to make Oyo State a model for mental health reform in Nigeria.
Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, medical doctor and commissioner for Health speaking at the event held in Ibadan to commemorate the 2025 World Mental Health Day in conjunction with the Oyo State Government through the Ministry of Health, described mental health as an integral part of public health and human resilience, especially during disasters such as epidemics, flooding, conflict or economic shocks.
The commissioner spoke through the permanent secretary, Akintunde Ayinde, a medical doctor, who hinted that the event marked the first official State-level celebration of the global observance in Oyo State.
“The burden in any disaster is not only on bodies but also on minds. The psychological wounds may linger far longer than the physical ones. Mental health must therefore form a core component of our emergency preparedness, resilience, and recovery strategies”, he said.
She highlighted Governor Seyi Makinde’s commitment to improving mental healthcare, citing ongoing reforms such as the renovation of Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities to expand access to mental health services, deployment of psychiatrists to general hospitals, and the appointment of mental health focal persons across all 33 Local Government Areas.
The commissioner also announced plans to inaugurate a State Mental Health Technical Working Group (TWG) to coordinate mental health emergency protocols, rapid response teams, and psychological first-aid training in collaboration with civil society, academia, NGOs, and traditional institutions.
Ajetunmobi commended partners such as the Asido Foundation and New World Specialist Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre for their technical and financial support, urging continued collaboration to expand access to mental healthcare across the state.
Mental health is the heartbeat of human resilience. “Under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, and with our partners and professionals working together, Oyo State is building a health system that heals both body and mind”, Ajetunmobi concluded.
Taiwo Okunade, guest speaker in his goodwill message, reflected on the impact of economic hardship on mental well-being, describing prolonged financial instability as a “quiet catastrophe.”
He lauded Governor Makinde’s consistent payment of salaries as a stabilising factor for civil servants’ mental well-being.
Jubril Abdulmalik, professor representing the Asido Foundation, stressed the need to integrate mental health into all aspects of healthcare, including maternal, child, and infectious disease services.
He commended the Ministry of Health for marking the day officially for the first time in Oyo State’s history.
