Governments at all levels in Nigeria have been charged with prioritizing increasing funds available for mental health services to close the over 85% gap in the sector.

They have also been urged to create mental health desks to facilitate the implementation of the Mental Health Act; calling for more public education campaigns to reduce stigma and raise awareness about mental health in Nigeria.

These were among recommendations given in a communiqué jointly signed by Prof. Taiwo Obindo and Dr. Abayomi Olajide, President and Secretary respectively of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) and issued at the end of the 55^th National Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the association held in Ilorin.

“The high and significant Mental Health gap (over 85%) with reduced access to mental healthcare services, especially in rural areas and the underserved communities, due to the lack of trained professionals, emigration of the trained ones, limited resources, and insufficient funding.

The persistence of stigma toward mental illness among healthcare workers and the wider community creates barriers to help-seeking and effective treatment.

The use of artificial intelligence in mental healthcare needs careful consideration regarding data privacy, cultural appropriateness, and the potential impact on human interaction and empathy,” which are part of observations raised in the communique.

Recall that on Thursday, the APN through its President disclosed that less than 200 psychiatrists attend to the mental health needs of over 200 million Nigerians.

Meanwhile, the conference held between the 25^th to 30^th November, 2024, themed: “Prioritizing Mental Health Needs of Nigerians in a Depressed Economy: an Urgent Call for Integrated, comprehensive, and Sustainable Interventions’’, had delegates from all the geopolitical zones of the Federation, the FCT and across the globe. “The subthemes were: “Upscaling Mental Health Services in Nigeria through General Hospital and Community Psychiatry,” “Addressing Mental Health Gaps Using Digital Interventions: opportunities and Barriers,” and “Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Practice of Psychiatry.” The conference continued in its unique style of being a hybrid with both a physical component as well as an online component via Zoom (118 physically and 30 virtually).”