Mental health experts and arts stakeholders have emphasized the need to integrate arts into mental healthcare in Nigeria, highlighting the role of music, drama, painting, and storytelling as effective tools for treatment, prevention, and diagnosis.
Speaking during the Lagos Arts and Health Festival (LAHFEST), psychiatrists noted that art-based therapies are increasingly used worldwide to help people manage trauma, stress, and substance abuse. In African societies, where music, spirituality, and drama are part of daily life, experts say creative expression provides a culturally relevant approach to healing.
Professor Taiwo Sheikh of Ahmadu Bello University explained that psychiatry has always drawn from art, citing visual art and music as central tools in therapy. He stressed that families are often open to creative interventions when health workers explain their benefits clearly.
Similarly, Professor Olayinka Atilola of LASUCOM called for stronger collaborations between psychiatrists and artists to make mental health prevention more effective in schools and communities. Art therapists, including Damilola Talabi, added that creative outlets help children cope with trauma, grief, and emotional struggles.
Experts urged policymakers to institutionalize art-based therapies in Nigeria’s healthcare system, describing art not just as creativity but as a powerful pathway to mental well-being.