The Lagos State Government is building a psychiatric hospital that will be involved in curing addiction to gambling and related behavioral disorders.
The effort is made public by the Commissioner for Health in the state, Prof. Akin Abayomi, at the Gamble Alert’s Responsible Gaming symposium in Lagos.
The under-construction hospital is a 500-bed psychiatric facility with a 1,000-bed rehabilitation wing, as stated by Abayomi who Head of Special Projects and Mental Health at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Tolu Ajomale stood in for at the event.
“This is a strategic investment directed by Mr. Governor to strengthen our mental healthcare system and address gambling as a growing public health concern,” Ajomale said on behalf of the Commissioner.
He announced plans by the Health ministry to develop a centralised national database to track gambling-related mental health cases.
The speaker noted that as it is, data currently available is fragmented across hospitals, regulators, and gaming providers.
On his part, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gamble Alert, Mr Fisayo Oke, said the event’s aim was to have meaningful dialogue and drive policy reforms.
“Responsible gaming is not optional, it’s a business imperative. Protecting consumers ensures long-term sustainability for the industry,” Oke declared.
