Mental Health as a Bridge to Peace

Fatima Akilu is the Executive Director of Neem Foundation, Nigeria, an internationally renowned crisis response organisation committed to promoting the protection and wellbeing of populations and communities living in contexts affected by conflict, violence, and fragility. She was appointed Honorary Professor at the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London (KCL) in 2026, and is also a university educator and advocate for marginalised groups. She has worked in the areas of psychology and health for more than two decades. Natasha Chilambo is a medical doctor, educator, and researcher at the African Leadership Centre, King's College London, UK, where she completed an MSc in Leadership and Development. Her work sits at the intersections of health, race, peace and security, employing transdisciplinary approached to examine power and advance structural equity in both discourse and praxis.

• List of FiguresForewordIntroduction: Blurring Boundaries, Stretching Silos: Towards An Interdisciplinary Approach to Violent ExtremismChapter One: Meaningful Accidents: An Unconventional Leadership JourneyChapter Two: The Boko Haram insurgency: origins and leadership responsesChapter Three: Centring trauma; rethinking peaceChapter Four: Towards soft approaches to the Boko Haram insurgencyChapter Five: Pivot, People, and Programmes: Mental Health, and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) at the Neem FoundationChapter Six: How can re-conceptualising leadership draw us closer to sustainable peace? Consolidation, lessons learnt, reflectionsBibliographyIndex

'This is a wonderful book. It is not just about addressing violent extremism in Northern Nigeria, but also about leadership, determination, and the importance of community programmes based on individual needs. At times deeply personal, it shows how a small but dedicated group of professional health workers can transform lives and spread the seeds of hope. It overflows with feeling and humility.'