Health professionals, researchers and community development stakeholders have called for a human-centred approach to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Nigeria’s mental healthcare system, emphasising the need for cultural sensitivity, professional supervision and community involvement.

The call was made at the launch of the GENSCORE Project, an initiative exploring how AI and African languages can strengthen mental health screening and promote care that reflects the cultural experiences of local communities.

The project is being implemented by the Slum and Rural Health Initiative (SRHIN), in partnership with Imperial College London, the University of Ibadan and the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of SRHIN, Dr Isaac Olufadewa, said AI systems must incorporate African cultural experiences and local languages to ensure that people are properly understood when seeking mental health support.

He warned against developing technologies that recognise different languages but fail to understand the emotions and experiences people communicate through them.

“We don’t want Africa to be an afterthought in the AI system. The future is not African intelligence versus artificial intelligence. But the future is artificial intelligence with African intelligence,” he said.

The Country Coordinator (Nigeria) of SRHIN and Chair of its Lived Experience Working Group, Mr. Miracle Adesina, stressed the importance of involving people with lived experience in designing mental health interventions and ensuring their contributions influence decisions.

He said their participation should go beyond being consulted, adding that they should be able to identify changes resulting from their contributions.

“We want their involvement to mean something they can point to. That they can look at the work and say, ‘We raised that issue. We explained why it mattered. And something changed,’” Adesina said.

The Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, said AI could improve access to mental health screening, particularly in communities where specialist services and professionals are limited.

He, however, maintained that technological tools should support healthcare delivery without displacing the human relationship between professionals and patients.

“AI cannot replace therapeutic relationships between a service provider and a client,” he said.

Owoeye described the project’s focus on Yoruba, Hausa and Nigerian Pidgin as important, noting that AI-supported screening must take account of the cultural contexts in which people express their feelings and experiences.

“For AI-supported screening to make meaningful contributions, it must connect to the people in their cultural contexts,” he added.

Professor Ayodele Jegede of the University of Ibadan also emphasised the importance of grounding AI development and its application in mental healthcare in local realities.

The Director of Nursing and Head of the Coordinating Unit of the National Mental Health Programme at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs Grace Ogunleye, said AI could provide valuable support for nurses and other healthcare workers, particularly in mental health services.

She noted that technology should improve access to care while protecting the dignity of those seeking support.

“Technology must support human dignity and improve access to professional care,” Ogunleye said.

She further highlighted the role of AI in identifying people who may require mental health assistance, stating that “the true value of AI lies in identifying and supporting people who need mental health care.”