By Merit Ibe and Bianca Iboma-Emefu
The United States Consulate General, Lagos, in conjunction with Tender Arts Nigeria, recently unveiled an “Arts and Medicine Innovation Hub,” hosted at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.
The innovation hub is a Tender Arts Nigeria initiative led by 2015 Mandela Washington Fellow, Kunle Adewale, with the support of a public diplomacy grant of the U.S. Consulate General.
Speaking at the formal opening of the innovation hub, U.S. Consulate’s acting public affairs officer, Jennifer Foltz, explained that incorporating the arts into healthcare delivery would enhance holistic patient care.
Foltz stressed that the innovation hub would provide opportunities for cultural exchange for art therapists, arts in health practitioners and mental health advocates in Nigeria and beyond: “The United States works closely with our Nigerian partners to strengthen human capital for inclusive growth, and part of that is by supporting programmes that will lead to a healthier population.
“We are proud of Kunle Adewale for giving back to his community and country through the establishment of this hub.”
In addition to inaugurating the Arts and Medicine Innovation Hub, Tender Arts Nigeria organised the maiden edition of the National Arts in Health conference, titled “The Arts, Health and You.”
Delivering opening remarks at the conference, Foltz said there was increasing evidence that the display of visual art, especially images of nature, and the use of other art forms like music could have positive effects on health outcomes.
In his keynote remarks, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, thanked the U.S. Consulate General and Tender Arts Nigeria for partnering to bring together public health practitioners and professional artists to advocate inclusion of arts in medicine.
“The impact of arts in healthcare could be miraculous for both patients and medical providers. In Lagos State, we will be seeking the input of artists in the design of our new public healthcare facilities,” Abayomi added.
Founder/executive director, Tender Arts Nigeria, Adewale, said creative arts programmes could help patients work towards recovery in an effective and enjoyable way. He explained that arts in medicine, which is relatively new in Nigeria, will go a long way in enhancing public perception of hospitals as centres for nurturing and healing.
“Integrating the arts into healthcare settings helps to cultivate a healing environment. Our arts in medicine project has yielded notable results across local hospitals, including mental health institutions,” he said.
