Across Nigeria’s bustling markets, where commerce and daily life intersect, mental health conversations are finding an unexpected platform. Leading this effort is Iruoma Ogueze, an art interventionist who has taken awareness campaigns into more than 300 public markets nationwide since 2018.

Her method combines banners, flyers, and art-driven dialogue to challenge stigma and misconceptions around mental health. “Art is universal. It is the common melting point for connecting with various populations in society,” Ogueze said, explaining why she chose this approach.

The initiative was motivated by disturbing trends Ogueze observed in her community. She recalled frequent cases of elderly women accused of witchcraft and lynched, many of whom, she explained, were living with undiagnosed dementia. “They’d wander from home, confused and vulnerable. When they sought shelter, they were accused of witchcraft and killed. It was brutal and preventable,” she said.

By framing these issues through creative expression and accessible education, Ogueze has helped communities recognise behaviours linked to dementia and other conditions as medical rather than mystical.

Her advocacy is also informed by personal experience. Growing up in southern Nigeria, she witnessed children with neurodevelopmental disorders being dismissed as “Olodo,” a term implying dullness. “Even when parents noticed their children were different, they blamed spirits or fate. There was no language for diagnosis, just shame,” she recalled.

Ogueze’s work emphasizes not only awareness but also the importance of health-seeking behavior in underserved communities. “Advocacy for me is the bridge between where I’m standing and what I want to see in the world. The collective goodness, the communal empathy, and the joint awareness I crave to see in my society starts with me and what I’m willing to do to shape the world that I dream of,” she said.

Looking beyond Nigeria, she believes the model has wider application. “What we’ve done here can work anywhere. Art is not bound by culture. It reaches people who have never read a brochure. It’s a fundamental tool for transformation,” she said.

Through her market interventions, Ogueze continues to position art as both an educational and advocacy tool, reshaping how mental health is understood at the grassroots level.