UK-based curator to convene artists for mental health summit

Medical experts have called for a multi-sectoral approach to tackling mental health challenges in Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on mental health and drug abuse in the country.

The experts made the call during an awareness walk in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, yesterday, where they raised concerns over the growing burden of mental health challenges and the stigma faced by people living with mental health conditions.

The medical personnel also urged Nigerians to stop discriminating against people with mental health challenges but to encourage those affected to speak out and seek professional help rather than suffer in silence.

The experts, however, advocated stronger collaboration among government agencies, parents, traditional and religious leaders, healthcare professionals, and other critical stakeholders to address the underlying causes of mental health problems, particularly drug abuse.

A Consultant Psychiatrist at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Dr Abayomi Olajide, who spoke during the awareness campaign, stressed the need for concerted efforts to confront mental health challenges and substance abuse.

Olajide said addressing the problem required the involvement of all sectors of society, noting that drug abuse had become a major contributor to mental health challenges.

The Acting Medical Director of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta, Sunday Amosun, also called for greater awareness and collective action to address mental health challenges and curb drug abuse.

He, therefore, urged parents and other stakeholders to pay closer attention to the mental well-being of young people and take early signs of substance abuse and mental health difficulties seriously.

In another development, a United Kingdom (UK)-based Nigerian curator, Oluwaseun Dosunmu, has planned to bring artists, cultural leaders and creative-health professionals together for a Global Creative Wellbeing Convention on October 10, 2026.

The hybrid event, scheduled to mark World Mental Health Day, will examine mental health and wellbeing challenges affecting creatives.

Dosunmu, a Bradford-based curator and Combined Arts Producer, said the convention would provide a safe space for creatives to discuss the realities behind their careers.

He said the convention would encourage creatives to move “from Art to Heart” and support one another through difficult experiences.

“My goal is to create a community of artists, who do not only use their art and abilities to express themselves, but also support one another through difficult situations,” he said.

Meanwhile, the keynote will be delivered by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Red Media, Deji Razaq, while artists and creatives, including Moyosore Martins, Joachim Keke, Elizabeth Olubunmi and Nosa Iyobele, are expected to participate.

The programme will feature discussions, artists’ lived experiences, live painting, dance, poetry, performances and exhibitions.

The convention, part of Dosunmu’s wider work through The Care Inn Centre, will build on an earlier edition held last month.

Dosunmu said he hoped to expand the platform beyond Bradford to connect creatives across the UK and other parts of the world.

The event will be held at First Floor, Nelson Street, 5 The Interchange, Bradford, from 4:00 p.m., with both physical and online participation.