The Lagos State Government has begun constructing a 500-bed psychiatric hospital with an adjoining 1,000-bed rehabilitation wing, a project described as the largest of its kind in West Africa. Announced at the Gamble Alert’s Responsible Gaming symposium, the new complex is designed to confront the mounting mental-health fallout from gambling addiction and other behavioural disorders.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, was represented at the symposium by the Head of Special Projects and Mental Health at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Tolu Ajomale. He relayed the commissioner’s message, “This is a strategic investment directed by Mr. Governor to strengthen our mental healthcare system and address gambling as a growing public health concern.”
Largest facility in West Africa
The scale of the hospital signals the state’s most decisive policy shift yet in addressing the human costs of Nigeria’s rapidly expanding gaming industry. With sports betting shops multiplying across neighbourhoods and online platforms pushing aggressive marketing to young people, Lagos officials now view gambling as more than a leisure activity; they view it as a public health challenge that demands clinical infrastructure as well as strong regulation.
Prof. Abayomi acknowledged that gambling is a legal, revenue-generating business, yet he cautioned that it “comes with hidden costs, addiction, depression, and social instability.” The commissioner’s office said the new hospital will house specialised wards for addiction medicine, emergency psychiatry, counselling suites, and transitional housing to support patients after discharge.
Tackling hidden costs of the gaming boom
Apart from bricks and mortar, authorities are turning to policy levers. Abayomi applauded Gamble Alert’s advocacy for harm-reduction practices and urged tighter controls on the industry. “Operators must provide self-exclusion tools, but right now, these are optional for users,” he added. “We’re working to standardise these safeguards and enforce them through robust regulatory frameworks.”
The Lagos Ministry of Health also plans to develop a centralised national database to track gambling-related mental health cases. Currently, data are scattered among hospitals, regulators, and gaming providers, making it difficult to accurately gauge the scale of the problem or plan targeted interventions.
Community outreach and early intervention
While the new psychiatric centre is under construction, the state is intensifying grassroots education. “We’re committed to working with NGOs, regulators, and community groups to make responsible gaming the norm,” Prof Abayomi said. Roadshows, flyers, local radio broadcasts, and door-to-door sensitisation campaigns are targeting informal settlements where betting kiosks often cluster alongside small shops and transport hubs.
Public health officials argue that prevention and early intervention will reduce the burden on the upcoming hospital. They note that many gamblers develop anxiety disorders or depression long before they seek professional help. If people recognise warning signs early, the likelihood of needing inpatient psychiatric care diminishes.
Industry urged to share responsibility
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gamble Alert, Mr Fisayo Oke, told symposium delegates that a sustainable gaming market depends on consumer protection. “Responsible gaming is not optional. It’s a business imperative. Protecting consumers ensures long-term sustainability for the industry,” he said. Oke challenged operators to invest in preventive technology, improve identity verification, and make self-exclusion seamless.
The Gamble Alert chief also highlighted a shared responsibility between companies and customers. “Players must understand how to gamble responsibly, while operators must build safer platforms,” she said. He insisted that Nigeria’s gaming boom should be matched with equally robust safeguards: “The conversation must lead to action,” he said. “Everyone, government, industry, and civil society, has a role to play.”
Lessons from neighbouring states
The dialogue in Lagos drew lessons from Oyo State, where regulators tightened oversight in 2023. Director General of the Oyo State Gaming and Lottery Board, Olajide Boladuro, warned against viewing betting as a quick-rich avenue. “Gambling is not a path to prosperity,” he said during a responsible gaming advocacy event. “Our youths should focus on productive ventures, not betting kiosks.”
Boladuro pointed to the United Kingdom’s £5 million fine on a betting firm for underage gambling as an example Oyo seeks to emulate. His board has expanded outreach to rural communities such as Fopa and Igbo Elerin, backed by Governor Seyi Makinde’s resources. “Depression, anxiety, even suicide, these are real outcomes,” he noted, urging young people to treat gambling as leisure, not income. “Gambling is not a job,” he said. “It’s just a game, and it should stay that way.”
A hospital, a database, and a cultural shift
When completed, the new psychiatric and rehabilitation complex will anchor Lagos State’s comprehensive response, encompassing clinical care, regulation, data gathering, and prevention. Stakeholders believe the project will set a benchmark for Nigeria and the wider region. As construction crews lay foundations, policymakers, operators, and advocates are under pressure to deliver matching reforms so that treatment is complemented by effective safeguards, and the cycle of addiction can be broken before more lives are derailed.
