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As part of response to the rising mental health toll of gambling addiction and related behavioral disorders, the government of Lagos State is building a 500-bed psychiatric hospital with a 1,000-bed rehabilitation wing.
It is the largest of its kind in West Africa.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi stated this at the Gamble Alert’s Responsible Gaming symposium in Lagos.
Represented by the Head of Special Projects and Mental Health at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Tolu Ajomale, Abayomi said: “This is a strategic investment directed by Mr. Governor to strengthen our mental healthcare system and address gambling as a growing public health concern.”
The announcement marks Lagos’ boldest policy shift yet in confronting the health risks of Nigeria’s fast-expanding gaming industry, especially for vulnerable youth and low-income earners.
He praised Gamble Alert’s advocacy and emphasized the need for industry-wide harm-reduction strategies, including stricter regulation of online platforms.
“Operators must provide self-exclusion tools, but right now these are optional for users,” he added. “We’re working to standardize these safeguards and enforce them through robust regulatory frameworks.”
The commissioner also announced plans to develop a centralised national database to track gambling-related mental health cases, data that is currently fragmented across hospitals, regulators, and gaming providers.
To reach underserved communities, Lagos is ramping up grassroots sensitisation through roadshows, flyers, local radio, and outreach campaigns, particularly in informal urban areas where gambling thrives unchecked.
“We’re committed to working with NGOs, regulators, and community groups to make responsible gaming the norm,” Prof Abayomi said.
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