By Desire Uzochukwu
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Mr. Shehu Mohammed, will lead policymakers, health professionals and other stakeholders to the fourth Vanguard Mental Health Summit in Lagos, as attention shifts to the growing mental health challenges confronting young Nigerians.
The summit, scheduled for Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, is themed “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria,” with the sub-theme, “Mental Health in a Digital Age: Navigating Social Media, Technology and Wellbeing.”
As chairman of the summit, Mohammed’s participation brings a public safety perspective to discussions on substance use, addiction, trauma, early intervention and access to mental healthcare.
His involvement also underscores the intersection between mental health and public safety, particularly the impact of substance use, trauma and risky behaviour on young people.
The fourth edition builds on Vanguard’s 2025 Mental Health Summit, which focused on suicide prevention and the need to strengthen prevention, care and support systems.
This year’s summit will broaden the conversation to youth mental health, digital technology and wellbeing, while retaining the focus on practical responses to mental health challenges.
Pate, Marwa, Abayomi expected
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, is expected to serve as 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 bring together government officials, psychiatrists, medical professionals, academics, civil society organisations, development partners, private sector representatives, youth groups and the media.
A key focus will be moving the conversation beyond awareness to practical interventions, including improved access to mental healthcare, early intervention, supportive families and schools, safer digital environments and policies that translate concern into action.
Participants will examine the effects of social media and technology on young people, including cyberbullying, online pressure, misinformation, social comparison, digital addiction and isolation.
They will also discuss stigma and barriers to seeking help, substance use, rehabilitation and recovery, as well as the roles of families, schools, communities, government, healthcare providers, the media and technology platforms.
Experts to lead sessions
The President of the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria, Dr Veronica Nyamali, will deliver the keynote address, “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria.”
The President of the Nigeria Medical Association, Prof. Omoti Ernest, will speak on “Making Youth Mental Health Everyone’s Business: From Policy to Practice.”
Also, Dr Daniel Ikpechukwu, a Substance Abuse and Behavioural Health Counselor, Alcohol/Drug Clinical Evaluator and Treatment Provider at Gracious Health Services, Georgia, USA, will deliver a virtual presentation 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 demonstrate the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, TMS, in the treatment of 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.”
Who is responsible for young people’s mental health?
A major feature of the summit will be a panel discussion built around the 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 can be shared among 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 at the event.
The summit is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to examine practical ways of strengthening mental health prevention, early identification and access to appropriate support for young Nigerians.
