Lagos launches Arts and Health Festival, highlights role of creativity in wellness
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has emphasized the therapeutic power of art in public health, describing it as a vital tool for social and behavioral change in the healthcare system.
Speaking at the welcome cocktail for the maiden Lagos Arts and Health Festival at the Soto Art Gallery, Ikoyi, on Sunday, Prof. Abayomi highlighted Lagos’ multidimensional approach to healthcare, integrating art into facility design, patient care, and health communication.
Recounting his experiences, the Commissioner said art helped him cope during his medical residency in the UK and inspired interventions during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. He noted that survivors in Sierra Leone and Liberia were able to contribute lifesaving serum after participating in art therapy sessions.
He added that art also proved valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Lagos isolation centers were infused with paintings, music, poetry, and creative activities under the state-backed “Art for Life” initiative. “Patients found hope in music, murals, and poetry when human contact was limited,” he said.
Prof. Abayomi explained that new health facilities, including the Massey Children’s Hospital, are being designed with artistic and architectural features to enhance healing. “When you walk into a bright, art-inspired hospital, healing begins even before treatment,” he noted.
Festival Director Mrs. Iniabasi Leye described the Lagos Arts and Health Festival as a milestone, citing similar events in Brazil, Zimbabwe, London, and Qatar. The week-long festival, running from August 24 to 30, features both virtual and physical events across the city, aiming to merge art and health for human connection and wellbeing.
Advisory Board Chair Ms. Aduke Gomez praised Lagos for hosting the first edition, highlighting that arts-in-health promotes wellness, prevention, and recovery. She said art—from music and dance to gardening and journaling—has proven benefits in stress reduction, dementia care, and quality of life for patients and caregivers.
The festival program includes an art exhibition, drug abuse therapy sessions, men’s and women’s health dialogues, creative ageing discussions, a blood drive, research presentations, and a children’s event on disability awareness, positioning Lagos as a hub for integrating creativity into healthcare across Africa.
