A consultant neurologist and founder of the Brain Centre for Neurocritical and Rehabilitation Services, Ibadan Dr.Temitope Farombi, has called on the Federal, State and Local Governments to make deliberate investments in brain health and reform the nation’s education curriculum to strengthen cognitive development.
Farombi who made the call during an interview with journalists on Thursday, said brain health must be treated as a core pillar of Nigeria’s human capital development and economic growth, not just a medical issue.
“Brain health is an important component of Nigeria’s human capital development and economic growth.The Federal, state and local governments should integrate brain health into their policies.” She said
The neurologist advocated sweeping reforms in the education sector, urging schools from nursery to tertiary level to place greater emphasis on skills that build the brain.
She said the curriculum should prioritize analytical, logical, quantitative and verbal reasoning to equip young Nigerians for problem-solving and innovation.
“Schools should place greater emphasis on analytical, logical, quantitative and verbal reasoning to strengthen cognitive development among young Nigerians,” Farombi stated.
According to her, protecting brain health should begin in childhood and continue throughout a person’s lifespan. She listed good nutrition, access to green spaces, recreational facilities and healthy social interaction as critical for cognitive development.
Farombi, however, noted that achieving this would require fixing the broader healthcare system, which she described as “highly fragmented.”
“The healthcare system in Nigeria is highly fragmented. What happens in the primary care centre is not known to what happens in the secondary care, as well as what happens in the tertiary care. There is also not enough policy monitoring. When you give out guidelines, there is not enough monitoring of those guidelines.” She said
She faulted poor enforcement of regulations for enabling quackery and the indiscriminate sale of medicines, particularly antibiotics, which she said was driving antimicrobial resistance.
To address the exodus of medical professionals, Farombi urged government to improve working conditions, increase funding and equip hospitals with modern facilities to encourage professionals to return home.
In the interim, she advocated a government-backed digital health platform to leverage Nigerian doctors in the diaspora.
“A government-backed digital health platform could enable doctors abroad to provide virtual consultations and support to healthcare workers and patients in Nigeria without necessarily returning physically,” she said.
She added that telemedicine could also bridge the gap between rural healthcare centres and specialist facilities in urban areas, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for neurologists and other specialists.
