Sheikh, a professor of psychiatry and psychopharmacology at the Department of Psychiatry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, called on the Federal Government to implement the National Mental Health Act 2021 and expand access to affordable care, particularly at the community level, warning that untreated psychological distress could weaken families, fracture communities and erode confidence in public institutions.
Speaking at the 4th Vanguard Mental Health Summit held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Sheikh said in a presentation titled “Mental Health as Social Capital: The Hidden Wealth of Nations” that mental wellbeing was fundamental to the trust, relationships and cooperation societies need to function.
He described mental health as one of the most neglected areas of healthcare, particularly in Africa and Nigeria, where inadequate investment has constrained access to services, especially community-based care.
“Nigeria faces a serious social capital crisis. We are a nation of about 230 million people, with a large youth population, yet our social indicators raise troubling questions about trust, cohesion and confidence in the future.
Low trust in institutions and tensions between communities weaken the relationships that hold society together,” he said. Sheikh identified insecurity, family breakdown, substance misuse and the growing desire among young Nigerians to leave the country as issues that must be understood beyond their immediate economic and social dimensions.