For decades, “Yaba Left” has been Lagos shorthand for madness. It’s actually the name of a bus stop, and of a busy federal hospital that thousands of Lagosians use every year for all kinds of mental health care. Here is what happens when you go.
Yaba Left is the popular name for the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital at 8 Harvey Road, Yaba. First-time visitors register at its emergency unit, open 24 hours, with or without a referral, then see a nurse and a doctor and book follow-ups.
Why it’s called Yaba Left
The hospital sits near the Yaba Left bus stop, and over time the stop’s name became the hospital’s. Then it became an insult. “Are you going to Yaba Left?” is still how some people call someone mad.
That stigma keeps people away from a place that could help them. The people in the waiting room are there for depression, anxiety, sleep problems, alcohol and drug problems, psychosis, dementia and more. Our piece on mental health stigma in Nigeria explains where the fear comes from, and our glossary entry covers the name.
Where it is and how to reach them
- Address: 8 Harvey Road, Yaba, Lagos.
- Phone: 0815 517 0000 (also on WhatsApp) or 0906 000 1907.
- Email: enquiries@fnphyaba.gov.ng.
- Online appointment request: the hospital’s website has a form where you can ask for an appointment yourself or through a referral.
The hospital also runs an annex in Oshodi for children and teenagers and for rehabilitation.
What they treat
- Adult psychiatry, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and psychosis.
- Drug and alcohol problems, through its substance use and addiction service.
- Older adults, including memory problems and dementia.
- Children and teenagers up to 18, at the Oshodi annex.
- Sleep problems, in a sleep clinic.
- Forensic psychiatry, for people involved with the courts.
- Clinical psychology, occupational therapy and social work.
Clinic days
| Where | Day | Clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Yaba | Monday | General adult psychiatry |
| Yaba | Tuesday | Substance use and addiction; sleep |
| Yaba | Thursday | Forensic psychiatry |
| Yaba | Friday | Older adults |
| Yaba | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday | Private “amenity” clinic, 8am to 4pm |
| Oshodi | Tuesday, Thursday | Children and teenagers |
| Oshodi | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday | Rehabilitation psychiatry |
Clinic days are for booked appointments. For a first visit, go to the emergency unit, which is open every day, around the clock.
Your first visit, step by step
- Go to the emergency unit. Everyone new to the hospital is registered there, whether or not it’s an emergency and whether or not you have a referral letter.
- Registration. Your details go into the hospital’s electronic records and you get a hospital number. There’s a registration fee.
- A nurse checks you, including your blood pressure, pulse and temperature.
- A doctor sees you. They’ll ask what’s been happening and may suggest medication, tests, therapy, a clinic appointment or, if needed, admission.
- Book your follow-up at the appointment unit before you leave.
The hospital registers around 20 to 25 new people a day, so first visits can take hours. Go early if you can.
What to bring
- Any referral letter or previous hospital records.
- A list of the medicines you or your relative have been taking.
- Someone who knows what has been happening, especially if the person who is unwell can’t explain it clearly.
- Money for registration, consultation, tests and medicines. The hospital doesn’t publish its fees, so call ahead.
- Water, a snack and a charged phone.
Costs and NHIA
As a public hospital, Yaba usually costs far less than private psychiatric care, but it isn’t free. Several of its services, including clinical psychology, the pharmacy, the laboratory and the community clinic, are accredited under the national health insurance scheme. Ask the hospital’s NHIA desk and your HMO what your plan covers before you rely on it. Our guide to whether your HMO covers therapy explains what to ask.
If admission comes up
Nigeria’s National Mental Health Act protects people in hospital:
- Treatment needs your informed, written consent, after the options, risks and costs have been explained.
- If you were admitted voluntarily and ask to leave, the hospital must let you go within 24 hours, unless you meet the Act’s strict conditions for involuntary care.
- Admission against someone’s will is allowed only in narrow circumstances, such as a serious likelihood of imminent harm, and it can be appealed to the national Mental Health Assessment Committee.
- People have the right to visitors in private, though visits can be supervised if there’s a risk of violence.
- Nobody may be chained or shackled, anywhere.
Drug and alcohol problems
The Tuesday clinic treats substance use and addiction. Beds for addiction treatment have been in short supply in the past, so ask about waiting times. Our guide to choosing a rehab centre explains what good treatment looks like and the other public options.
Suggested read: Guidance and Counselling in Nigeria: History and Today
In an emergency
- If someone is in immediate danger, call 112, or 767 in Lagos.
- The emergency unit at Yaba is open 24 hours.
- For someone to talk to now, Lagos Lifeline is on 0700 000 6463 and Safe Place Nigeria on 0800 800 2000, both free and open 24 hours. Our helplines page lists more.
Other options
Yaba isn’t the only place to go. Our guide to psychiatric hospitals in Lagos covers LUTH, LASUTH, state hospitals and private clinics. Therapists on Mytherapist.ng don’t prescribe or admit, but talking therapy can run alongside psychiatric care, and you can find a therapist in Lagos or see one online. If psychosis is part of the picture, read about schizophrenia.
Details were taken from the hospital’s own website. Last checked by phone: [DATE: fill in before publishing].
Frequently asked questions
Where is Yaba Left?
The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital is at 8 Harvey Road, Yaba, Lagos. It also has an annex in Oshodi for children and teenagers and for rehabilitation.
Why is it called Yaba Left?
The name comes from the nearby Yaba Left bus stop. Over time it became a nickname for the hospital, and sadly a slur for mental illness.
Can I go to Yaba psychiatric hospital without a referral?
Yes. Everyone new to the hospital registers at the emergency unit, which is open 24 hours, with or without a referral letter.
How much does it cost to see a doctor at Yaba?
The hospital doesn’t publish its fees. There’s a registration fee plus charges for consultation, tests and medicines. Call ahead, and ask the NHIA desk what your plan covers.
Can Yaba admit someone against their will?
Only under the strict conditions of the National Mental Health Act, such as a serious likelihood of imminent harm. The person or their representative can appeal to the Mental Health Assessment Committee.
This article is awaiting clinical review. It’s based on published research and health guidelines, and we’ll update it once a clinician has reviewed it.
