The Federal Government has warned that poor sleep poses serious risks to public health and road safety, calling for increased investment in sleep medicine, specialist training, diagnostic facilities and research across Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Kachollom Daju, gave the warning in a goodwill address delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Director, Clinical Services and Diagnostics, Dr Adebayo Olufemi, at the inaugural annual meeting and scientific conference of the African Sleep Medicine Network in Abuja.
Daju said sleep health could no longer be treated as a peripheral issue because of its links to non-communicable diseases, mental health, maternal and child health, occupational health and road safety.
He identified obstructive sleep apnoea, insomnia, narcolepsy and circadian rhythm disorders among the conditions requiring greater attention from policymakers, healthcare professionals and researchers.
According to him, untreated sleep disorders have consequences beyond individual patients, contributing to road crashes, impaired learning among children and reduced productivity.
“Sleep health therefore cuts across non-communicable diseases, mental health, maternal and child health, occupational health and road safety,” he said.
Daju described sleep medicine as an emerging field in Africa and called for research that reflects the realities of African populations, environments and living conditions.
He listed noise, overcrowding, heat, shift work and economic stress among the factors that can interfere with healthy sleep.
“We cannot plan well for what we have not measured,” he said, stressing the need for reliable data on the prevalence and impact of sleep disorders in Nigeria and across Africa.
The Permanent Secretary called for stronger sleep laboratories and diagnostic facilities, increased specialist training and wider public awareness of sleep health.
He said research evidence would help the government determine the services, guidelines and training required to manage sleep disorders effectively at tertiary and other levels of healthcare.
Daju also urged greater collaboration among clinicians, researchers, policymakers and professional bodies to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in sleep medicine.
“The knowledge shared at this Congress can help us to understand the burden of sleep disorders in Nigeria and across Africa and to decide what services, guidelines and training are needed in our tertiary hospitals and at other levels of care,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to recognise sleep as an essential component of healthy living, alongside proper nutrition, exercise and avoidance of tobacco.
Daju described public education on sleep health as a potentially low-cost, high-impact intervention that could complement efforts to prevent and control non-communicable diseases and promote mental well-being.
Also speaking, the FCT Mandate Secretary for Health Services and Environment, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, pledged that the Federal Capital Territory Administration would integrate sleep health awareness into its non-communicable disease programme.
Fasawe, who was represented by the Director of Clinical Services and Diagnostics, Dr Osayande Osagie, said the initiative was part of efforts to address the growing burden of lifestyle-related and chronic diseases in the territory.
She said the administration would encourage healthcare professionals to screen patients for sleep disorders and support partnerships aimed at establishing sleep laboratories and expanding training opportunities in hospitals across the FCT.
Fasawe said poor sleep was associated with several conditions placing significant pressure on the health system, including hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart failure, obesity, anxiety and depression.
She also highlighted the wider consequences of undiagnosed sleep disorders, noting that a sleep-deprived driver could cause a road crash, while a child with undiagnosed sleep apnoea could suffer poor academic performance.
She further noted that sleep-disordered breathing could have serious implications for pregnant women, including its association with complications such as pre-eclampsia.
The Mandate Secretary expressed concern that, despite the health consequences of sleep disorders, sleep medicine remained under-recognised in medical education, clinical practice and health training across Africa.
The President of the Nigerian Sleep Society and the Nigerian Society of Neurological Sciences, Prof. Morenike Komolafe, called for stronger continental collaboration, research and mentorship to advance sleep medicine and give Africa a stronger voice in global sleep health.
Komolafe said the inauguration of the African Sleep Medicine Network marked a significant milestone in efforts to bring African professionals together to address the continent’s sleep-health challenges and strengthen its contribution to global scientific discourse.
She said African countries had for years lacked a strong collective voice on the global sleep-health stage, making the establishment of the network particularly significant.
According to her, a multidisciplinary approach was essential because sleep health cuts across several areas of healthcare and requires expertise beyond medicine alone.
Komolafe also called for greater investment in research involving African populations, noting that evidence from the continent remained insufficient to fully understand and address its unique sleep-health challenges.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the 2026 African Sleep Medicine Network Conference, Prof. Kolawole Mosaku, called for stronger coordination among health professionals, researchers and other stakeholders to advance sleep health across Africa.
Mosaku said the conference was designed to promote knowledge-sharing, professional development and collaboration while translating scientific evidence into practical approaches for improving sleep health and healthcare delivery.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV