On October 10, 2025, the world celebrated World Mental Health Day, but in Nigeria, the day carried a deeper resonance. At the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), history was made when Dr Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, a Consultant Neuropsychiatrist and leading mental-health advocate, became the first African psychiatrist to perform the prestigious closing gong ceremony.
For Dr Kadiri, the sound of the gong was more than a routine ritual; it was a national awakening. “It echoed across the trading floor and, I hope, into the hearts of millions,” she said. “That gong wasn’t just ending a trading day; it was beginning a new conversation — one that Nigeria has avoided for too long: our mental health.”
According to her, Nigeria is one of the most resilient nations in the world, yet resilience has become a mask that hides unspoken pain. “We’ve turned endurance into identity. We glorify strength but stigmatise vulnerability,” she explained. “From the student facing uncertainty to the mother juggling three jobs, we are a country running on survival mode.”
The statistics are alarming. The World Health Organization estimates that over 20% of Nigerians live with mental health conditions, yet less than 10% receive any form of help. Instead, people dismiss anxiety as “small stress,” blame depression on “village people,” or try to “pray it away.” Dr Kadiri warns that unhealed trauma affects not just individuals but the nation’s productivity and growth. “A tired workforce is an underperforming economy. You can’t build a thriving nation with broken minds,” she said.
When NGX partnered with Pinnacle Medical Services, HowBodi Wellness Technologies, and The Mental Health Conference to close the gong, it symbolised the link between mental health and economic strength. “Our financial market recognised that mental and economic health are two sides of the same coin. Burnout kills innovation, and emotional poverty drains national wealth,” she emphasised.
Her advice to Nigerians was deeply practical: “Rest is not laziness; even phones overheat. Talk about how you feel — vulnerability is wisdom. Therapy isn’t for the elite; it’s for everyone. Employers should ask ‘Are you okay?’ as much as ‘Did you meet your target?’”
Dr Kadiri insists that mental health must be treated as infrastructure, integrated into education, workplaces, and public policy. “If we can budget for roads, we can budget for resilience,” she said.
As the gong’s echo faded, it carried a message of hope and responsibility. “It said: it’s time to heal. We can’t build skyscrapers on shaky souls. The gong has spoken; now Nigeria must listen.”
