By Sola Ogundipe
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Mr. Shehu Mohammed, will lead a high-level gathering of policymakers, health professionals and other stakeholders at the fourth Vanguard Mental Health Summit in Lagos, as attention turns to the mental health challenges confronting young Nigerians.
The summit which holds on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme, “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria” with sub-theme “Mental Health in a Digital Age: Navigating Social Media, Technology and Wellbeing,” reflects the growing pressures young Nigerians face in an increasingly digital and connected society.
As the Chairman of the summit, Corps Marshal Mohammed’s participation brings a road safety and public safety perspective to discussions that will also cover substance use, addiction, trauma, early intervention and access to care.
His involvement also highlights the intersection between mental health and public safety, particularly the consequences of substance use, trauma and risky behaviour among young people.
The fourth Vanguard Mental Health Summit builds on the third edition held in 2025, which focused on suicide prevention and the need for Nigeria to strengthen prevention, care and support.
Vanguard has continued to follow developments around the decriminalisation of attempted suicide issue, including the Federal Government’s September 2026 announcement that it had begun the process of removing criminal penalties for attempted suicide following Federal Executive Council approval.
The fourth edition shifts the major focus towards young people, digital technology and wellbeing, while retaining the summit’s broader emphasis on practical responses to mental health challenges.
Among dignitaries expected this year are the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who is the Chief Host, while the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa, are Special Guests of Honour.
The summit will engage government officials, psychiatrists, medical professionals, academics, civil society organisations, development partners, private sector representatives, youth groups and the media to examine how Nigeria can strengthen its response to youth mental health.
At the heart of the event is a call to move youth mental health beyond awareness campaigns. Vanguard Media Limited is organising the summit to drive greater attention to access to appropriate mental health care, early intervention, supportive families and schools, safer digital environments and policies that translate concern into practical action.
The discussions will examine the growing influence of social media and technology on young people’s wellbeing, including cyberbullying, online pressure, misinformation, social comparison, digital addiction and isolation.
The participants will also address stigma and barriers to seeking help, substance use, rehabilitation and recovery, as well as the responsibilities of families, schools, communities, government, healthcare providers, the media and technology platforms.
The President of the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria, Dr Veronica Nyamali, will deliver the keynote address, “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria” even as the President of the Nigeria Medical Association, Prof. Omoti Ernest, will speak on “Making Youth Mental Health Everyone’s Business: From Policy to Practice.”
A virtual presentation by Dr. Daniel Ikpechukwu, Substance Abuse and Behavioural Health Counselor, Alcohol/Drug Clinical Evaluator and Treatment Provider at Gracious Health Services, Georgia, USA, will focus on “Youth Drug Addiction and the Justice System: Advancing Treatment, Rehabilitation and Recovery in Nigeria.”
Dr Oluwafemi Oluwatayo, Chief Executive Officer of The Retreat Hospital, Ikorodu, will give a presentation and demonstration on Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment for depression and anxiety disorders.
Other speakers include Prof. Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, Continental Representative for LifeLine International, who will speak on “Mental Health As Our Social Capital,” and Prof. Mashudat Bello-Mojeed, Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health, whose lecture is titled “Protecting Young Minds in the Age of Social Media.”
A major attraction of the summit will be a panel discussion built around a fundamental question: “Who is responsible for the Mental Health of Young People?” The session will be moderated by Dr. Ayantunde Ayankola, Senior Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist at the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta.
The panel will examine how responsibility for youth mental health should be shared across families, schools, communities, healthcare systems, government, the media, technology platforms and young people themselves. A performance by the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts, Lagos State University of Education, LASUED, will also feature during the event.
The fourth Vanguard Mental Health Summit summit is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to examine how Nigeria can move from awareness to action, build stronger systems for preventing mental health problems and identifying them early, and ensure that young people can obtain appropriate support when they need it.
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