The Senior Vice President, Market Access at Advantage Health Africa (Advantages Network Holdings Ltd), Parm. Adewale Oladigbolu has advocated for a stronger national response to mental health issues; one that places community pharmacists at the forefront of care.
Pharm. Oladigbolu made the call while delivering the 8th Ladipo Mobolaji Abisogun-Afodu Annual Lecture, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the Old Great Hall, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Idi-Araba.
The event, under the auspices of the Office of Advancement, UNILAG and the Board of Trustees of the Ladipo Mobolaji Abisogun-Afodu Annual Lecture in Pharmacy, brought together stakeholders from academia, healthcare, and the pharmaceutical sector to discuss mental health in a rapidly changing economy.
Speaking on the theme “Mental Health in a Disruptive Economy: The Impact of Community Pharmacists,” Oladigbolu noted that economic instability is now “a significant determinant of mental health, fuelling higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression”. He cited political transitions, insecurity, misinformation, and abrupt economic policies such as currency floatation and fuel price shocks as major disruptive forces affecting mental well-being.
Accoding to him, nearly one billion people, globally, live with mental health conditions, yet 75 percent receive no treatment.
Pharm. Oladigbolu, a Prince from the historic Ladigbolu lineage of the Oyo Empire, stressed the need to ensure that pharmacists are fully integrated into Nigeria’s mental health strategy. He also called for stronger collaboration between academics and community pharmacists to improve mental health training, and enhance medicine quality monitoring.
The immediate past President of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria noted that while community pharmacies receive an estimated 280,000 visitors daily, about 500 Local Government Areas still have no access to such facilities.
He stressed that it is therefore imperative for the Government to expand access in order to improve healthcare delivery.
The Provost of the College of Medicine, Professor Ademola Oremosu, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS at the event, described the lecture series as one of UNILAG’s key contributions to improving healthcare. He pledged the university’s continued support for research and advocacy on mental health.
Chairman of the day, Pharm. (Elder) Laide Osundeko, applauded the organisers for sustaining the Lecture’s legacy. Reflecting on the practice in the last 60 years, he highlighted Pharmacy’s evolution from a dispensary-focused profession to a major pillar of public health and patient care. Pharm. Osundeko stressed that “service’’ must remain at the heart of the profession.
Similarly, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Professor Oluwole Familoni and the Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor Sunday Adesegun, in their remarks, pointed out the mounting pressure of economic hardship and technological change on the mental health of Nigerians. They encouraged community pharmacists, who are often the first point of contact for many Nigerians in need of medical attention, to become even more accessible and responsive.
On his part, the Special Guest of Honour, Pharm. Ogbeheochuko Omaruanya, called on individuals and organisations to invest in projects that address social challenges, saying such efforts ultimatley strengthen the nation and provide vital support for vulnerable populations.
Mrs. Laide Sasegbon, representing the Executors of the donor’s Will thanked the university for preserving the vision of the late donor and pledged the family’s continued support for initiatives that strengthen healthcare and empower communities.
Award Grant Presented to Emerging Researcher
The event also witnessed the presentation of the 2025 Ladipo Mobolaji Abisogun-Afodu Annual Lecture in Pharmacy Best Award Grant to Dr. Chidalu Benedicta Ikeotuonye of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
She was presented a cheque of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N2,500,000) for her research titled “Development and In-Vitro Evaluation of Intranasal Lipid-Based Nanoemulsions of Curcumin and Huperzine A for Synergistic Neuroprotection in Early-Stage Alzheimer’s.” It was received on her behalf by the Chairman of the Planning Committee of this year’s event, Profeasor Emmanuel Ayinka.
Honouring a Legacy: The Ladipo Mobolaji Abisogun-Afodu Annual Lecture
The Ladipo Mobolaji Abisogun-Afodu Annual Lecture in Pharmacy stands today as a testament to the vision and generosity of late Chief Frederica Abimbola Aina Omololu-Mulele, who instituted the endowment in honour of her father. Until her demise in 2009, Chief Omololu-Mulele distinguished herself as a lawyer, educationist, and philanthropist, serving for many years as a Crown Counsel in the civil service.
Her passion for education led to the founding of the ADRAO International School in 1963, a pioneering institution she nurtured into one of Lagos’ notable centres of learning.
The Pharmacy Lecture is one of the two major endowments bequeathed by Chief Omololu-Mulele to the University of Lagos. Through these legacy gifts, she ensured that generations of scholars, practitioners, and students would continue to benefit from sustained intellectual engagement and capacity building, thereby advancing the fields she passionately supported.
Report: Bayo Salau
Photographs: Samuel Dosunmu
