By Bunmi Yekini
What began as a daring whisper in 2023 has now become a national movement. The Mental Health Conference (TMHC), conceived by psychiatrist and advocate Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, is returning for its third edition on Friday, October 3, 2025, at Alliance Française, Ikoyi, Lagos, with a bold theme: “Trauma, What’s Your Story?”
The maiden conference, “The Mind Behind the Mask,” in 2023 challenged Nigerians to confront hidden struggles. Its second edition, “Identity: Who Are You?” in 2024, urged participants to look beyond roles and titles to rediscover themselves. Now, TMHC 3.0 takes the conversation deeper by tackling one of humanity’s most profound wounds, trauma.
“Every Nigerian has a story,” said Dr. Kadiri. “By opening up conversations on trauma, we not only heal individually but also build stronger families, workplaces, and communities. This conference is about breaking silence, ending stigma, and creating solutions for collective resilience.”
This year’s event will feature high-level keynote addresses, including Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, State Minister of Health, who will outline Nigeria’s national roadmap for trauma care and mental health inclusion, and Mr. Olumide Akpata, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, who will explore the intersection of trauma, justice, and resilience in national healing.
In its signature storytelling style, TMHC will host TED-style talks with voices such as Dr. Olasimbo Davidson of Edenoceans, Mr. Wale Ajiboye of 16Stories.org, and Ms. Stephanie Busari of SBB Media, each sharing personal and professional insights into surviving and transforming trauma.
Two powerful panels will also bring the conversation closer to everyday life. Leaders from corporate Nigeria, academia, and wellness sectors will unpack trauma’s ripple effects across workplaces, society, and personal wellbeing.
Beyond speeches, TMHC 3.0 promises to be a multi-sensory experience. Attendees will watch a short film on trauma and resilience, experience live cultural performances, and even access on-site therapy sessions, a rare offering at public conferences in Nigeria.
“This is not just a conference; it is a movement,” Dr. Kadiri emphasized. “We are declaring that every trauma has a voice, every story matters, and healing is possible.”
Registration is free and open to the public. Organizers are calling on policymakers, CEOs, educators, students, and community leaders to attend, share their stories, and be part of rewriting Nigeria’s mental health narrative.
Because, as the convener puts it, “Trauma does not have the final word. Healing does.”