By Providence Ayanfeoluwa
Mental health expert and Doctors on Air radio presenter, Dr. Pamela Ajayi, has called for the establishment of sustainable systems that provide hope, support, and healing for Nigerians facing mental health challenges.
Ajayi made the call in her goodwill message at the Vanguard Mental Health Summit 3.0 held in Lagos with the theme, “Taming the Rising Tide of Suicide in Nigeria,” and the sub-theme, “Substance and Silence: Unmasking the Dual Crisis of Addiction and Suicide.”
She noted that mental health is not just a medical concern but a societal priority that requires compassion, collaboration, and concrete action across all levels.
“As we confront the rising tide of suicides and drug addiction in Nigeria, silence is not an option,” Ajayi said. “We must show compassion — and make compassion a culture.”
Describing the summit’s theme as both powerful and timely, Ajayi said it compels the nation to confront two painful realities — the growing struggle with addiction and the pervasive silence surrounding mental illness.
“Too many people are suffering in silence, and stigma keeps them hidden,” she said. “By unmasking this dual crisis, we are taking the first step toward breaking the silence.”
Ajayi stressed that breaking the silence must go hand in hand with building functional systems — including community-based mental health centres and national response frameworks — to ensure that mental health support is both accessible and affordable to all Nigerians in need.
She urged stakeholders to listen, support, and build systems that inspire hope, emphasizing that mental health should be treated as an essential component of the country’s overall wellbeing.
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