Given the grimness and prevalence of mental health issues across the country, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has advocated inter-sectoral collaboration with the assembly and collective responsibility by agencies, individuals, and institutions.

Speaking in his capacity as Chairman at the Seventh Public Lecture of the Board of Fellows, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Obasa described the theme, Mental Health: A Basic Human Right Crucial to Personal, Community, and SocioEconomic Development, as timely and globally relevant.

He opined: “We live in times where the mental health of individuals is increasingly becoming a matter of public concern because globally, there is a rising incidence of mental health disorders, and unfortunately, Nigeria is not exempted.”

The Lagos Speaker reckoned that mental health is crucial to personal and community development because, “It is the bedrock upon which personal growth and achievements are built.

For our nation to thrive, we need citizens who are mentally sound and can contribute meaningfully to national development. “Socio-economic development is intertwined with mental health.

A nation with a high burden of mental health disorders will undoubtedly suffer a decline in productivity, a decrease in the quality of life, and a strain on health resources.”