Echoes of Change: Mental Health Rings Loud at the Nigerian Exchange

On Friday, October 10, 2025, the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) momentarily fell silent — not for a market dip or a trading halt, but for a cause that touches every home, every office, and every heartbeat in the nation: mental health.

To commemorate #WorldMentalHealthDay, Pinnacle Medical Services, led by its Medical Director and Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, brought a message to the heart of Nigeria’s economy — a message that merged finance and feelings, business and being.

“The Nigerian Exchange is the heartbeat of the nation’s economy,” Dr. Kadiri said as the ceremonial gong sounded to close the trading day. “But even the strongest heart needs care. Behind every stock ticker is a person — and behind every person is a mind that must stay healthy for the economy to thrive.”

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The event, which drew participation from leading psychiatrists, legal experts, and stockbrokers, sought to raise awareness about the growing mental health crisis in Nigeria, where an estimated 50 million people live with one form of mental illness or another — yet over 75% lack access to treatment.

Dr. Kadiri highlighted the emotional toll of financial volatility, noting that traders often face immense stress from the unpredictable swings of a market that can be as bullish in the morning as it is bearish by noon.

“When the market falls, spirits often fall with it,” she said. “Issues like burnout, anxiety, and depression are not abstract medical terms — they’re lived realities for professionals navigating high-pressure environments every day.”

Echoing this concern, Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye, Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, described the mental health statistics in Nigeria as “alarming and urgent.”

“Money is important,” he remarked, “but the brain that makes the money is far more important. The mental health of Nigerians is as essential to our economic recovery as any fiscal policy.”

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Dr. Owoeye called for the establishment of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) across corporate Nigeria — including at the NGX — to provide accessible psychological support for workers, reduce burnout, and foster healthier workplaces.

Adding a legal and ethical lens, Yusuf Kadiri (SAN), Chairman of Pinnacle Medical Services, urged policymakers to decriminalise attempted suicide, describing it not as a crime but a call for help.

“Anyone who attempts suicide needs medical help, not prosecution,” he said. “We must reform our laws to reflect compassion — not punishment — for those battling mental distress.”

The event also featured insights from Adedayo Oketola, President of the International Visitor Leadership Alumni Association of Nigeria (IVLPAN), who underscored the link between mental health and national progress.

“Mental health is the foundation of effective leadership, innovation, and productivity,” he said. “If we want a stable economy, we must build a mentally resilient nation.”

The symbolic closing-gong ceremony was not just an event — it was a statement: that economic growth cannot exist without emotional well-being, and that a nation’s prosperity depends as much on the health of its people as on the strength of its markets.

As the echo of the gong faded across the trading floor, one truth resonated clearly: it is time to place mental health at the centre of Nigeria’s development conversation — from boardrooms to classrooms, trading floors to homes.

“The market thrives when minds do,” Dr. May said. “And the most valuable investment we can make — as individuals, organisations, and a nation — is in mental wellness.”