Nollywood actress and art curator Chidera Adiele has made an emotional public appeal for assistance, revealing that her younger brother has been battling mental illness for seven years, with no lasting improvement despite treatment at multiple psychiatric hospitals across Nigeria. In a video shared on her Instagram page on Tuesday, Adiele detailed the toll this prolonged struggle has taken on her family, especially on herself as the primary caregiver.
Brother's Illness Began in 2019
According to Adiele, her brother's condition first manifested in 2019 shortly after he gained admission into the University of Lagos. The situation worsened during his first academic session in 2020, marking the onset of a long and difficult journey. Over the years, he has been admitted to at least seven different psychiatric facilities, including the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Yaba, the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital also in Yaba, a private facility known as Concept One, and hospitals in Gbagada and Benin City.
Most recently, her brother spent three months at the Army hospital before the institution requested that she take him home, explaining that they could no longer keep him indefinitely. This rejection added to the family's frustration and highlighted the challenges of accessing long-term psychiatric care in Nigeria.
Primary Caregiver's Burden
Adiele described herself as the first child of the family and her brother's primary caregiver throughout the ordeal. In the video, she said, "They've brought this drama back to me, and worse is I have been his primary caregiver since all of this started. I've been the one taking him to all these hospitals." She also expressed deep exhaustion: "I'm the first child. I'm tired. I'm so tired of carrying responsibilities that I had no business carrying."
About five years ago, Adiele relocated from the family home to protect her young daughter from the instability caused by her brother's condition. However, after their landlord issued a quit notice, the entire family moved back to live with her. This has compounded the emotional and financial strain she faces.
Appeal for Public Support
Adiele stated that she has spent extensively on her brother's treatment over the years without achieving lasting improvement. She used the video to make a direct appeal to the public for support, though as of the time of this report, she has not specified what form of assistance she is seeking. The video has since circulated widely on social media, drawing sympathy and drawing attention to the broader issue of mental health care in Nigeria, where family caregivers often bear the brunt of providing long-term care for loved ones with severe mental illness.
This case underscores the limited access to sustained psychiatric care in the country, leaving many families to navigate a fragmented system. Adiele's story has sparked conversations about the need for better mental health infrastructure and support systems for caregivers.
