National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
The third edition of The Mental Health Conference (TMHC 3.0) transformed the Alliance Française, Ikoyi, into a sanctuary of stories and healing on Saturday, as renowned psychiatrist Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, popularly known as The Celebrity Shrink, convened leaders from medicine, law, business, media, and the arts for an emotionally charged discussion on trauma and healing.
With the theme “Trauma: What’s Your Story?” and subtheme “Prioritising Mental Health in the Workplace,” TMHC 3.0 delved into how personal experiences, institutional practices, and public policies intersect to shape mental wellbeing in Nigeria.
Kadiri opened the conference with an impassioned reflection on turning pain into purpose. “We are here to turn our pain into power, our silence into story, and our stories into light,” she said. “Healing is not a destination — it’s a revolution of remembering.”
Tracing TMHC’s evolution from “Unveiling the Mind Behind the Mask” to “Identity: Who Are You?”, she described this year’s focus as “a deeper excavation into the unlit rooms of the self,” urging participants to see trauma “not as a tomb, but as soil where seeds take root.”
Representing the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye, Medical Director and Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, presented a keynote on “National Roadmap for Trauma Care and Mental Health Inclusion.” He announced government plans to establish National Trauma Centres and psychosocial intervention units across states, describing trauma care as “a public-health and national-development imperative.”
Former Nigerian Bar Association President Olumide Akpata, in his keynote address, explored trauma through the lens of justice and governance. He linked national crises — insecurity, unemployment, corruption — to collective psychological harm, calling for restorative approaches to justice. “True justice must be restorative, not merely punitive. A nation is only as successful as the collective mental wellness of its citizens,” he stated.
Other notable speakers included Wale Ajiboye, Chief Curator of 16Stories, who encouraged participants to find meaning in their scars, and Stephanie Busari of SBB Media, who gave a heartfelt account of navigating grief while maintaining professional resilience. “Grief doesn’t wait for permission, neither does trauma check your schedule,” she said, urging honesty and faith as paths to healing.
Dr. Olasimbo Davidson facilitated a reflective session on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), reminding attendees that “you can’t heal what you’re not even aware of.”
A panel discussion led by Mrs. Adeola Kingsley James, featuring Dr. Babi Awosika, Dr. Sylvanus Jatto, and Prof. Rosemary Ogu, examined “Mental Health at the Heart of Work and Society.” The experts advocated for trauma-informed workplace policies, Employee Assistance Programs, and holistic occupational health practices.
Another session, “The Wellness Equation: Mind, Body, Medicine & Finance,” moderated by Mrs. Saudat Salami, featured Mrs. Temi Dalley, Mr. Foluso Ogunwale, Mrs. Oghenetega Gbadagri, and Mrs. Josephine Ehimen, who discussed the link between financial stability, physical wellness, and mental health.
Beyond conversations, TMHC 3.0 incorporated art and performance as instruments of healing, with legendary singer Yinka Davies delivering a stirring musical performance that captured the conference’s spirit of hope and restoration.
In her closing remarks, Kadiri thanked participants, partners, and speakers for their contributions and announced that TMHC 4.0 would continue the movement toward collective healing. “Healing begins when we tell our stories and stop letting silence hold us hostage,” she said. “The world doesn’t need perfect people — it needs powerful people who have walked through pain and still choose love.”
