The Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Nigeria, came into existence in 1954; but its progenitor, then an asylum, now called Lantoro Annex, came into existence on the 13th of April, 1944. This was when 13 health attendants were transferred from the Yaba Asylum, Lagos, to open the Lantoro Institution with five mentally ill patients. These were Niegrian soldiers repatriated from the Burma war front during the Second World War. Lantoro was a former Local Government Prison which was taken over, first by the Military, and later by the then Colonial Medical Department.
In January 1946, the first civilian patients were admitted into Lantoro. Later on in the same year, criminal patients who were adjudged to be mentally ill were also admitted into Lantoro, on the order of the courts in accord with the Lunancy Ordinance. The Lantoro Institution soon became over populated and a decision was taken to establish a well-equipped hospital for mental and nervous diseases.
In 1948, through an arrangement made by the late Dr. (Later Sir) Samuel Manuwa, Deputy Director of Medical Services, Western Provinces of Nigeria, the present site of Aro Neuropsychiatric Hospital, sitting on an expansive 732 acres of land was acquired with the assistance of the then Alake of Egbaland, Abeokuta, the late Oba (Sir) Oladapo Ademola II.
Though, as far back as the late 1930’s, the present site of Aro Neuropsychiatric Hospital had been labeled “Site for Mental Hospital”, it was not until 1954 that the Aro Complex, the main hospital which is about 18 kilometers from Lantoro Annex, was begun by the doyen of psychiatry in Nigeria and Africa, the late Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo (OFR), upon his return to Nigeria, having completed his course of study in psychiatry at the University of Birmingham. He worked alongside Mr. Leonard Oliver, the then Chief Nursing Superintendent, and other nurses like Mr. Owodimilehin, Mr. Sodunke and so on.
The defunct Western Region of Nigeria managed the hospital until 1976, when the region was split into three, namely, Ogun, Ondo and Oyo States. The Federal Government took over the hospital and set up a board to oversee it, along with two other psychiatric hospitals at the time, namely: Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos and Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin City. Decree 92 of 1979 was promulgated in October 1979 to back the Board. The same decree formally declared Aro Complex as an affiliate of the University College Hospital, the teaching hospital of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
This hospital, then known as an asylum, was first administered by the late Dr. Cameron, who was designated as the “Hospital Superintendent”.
Latest Update
You are invited to Intern pharmacist s interview@ Neuropsychiatric Hospital Aro,Abeokuta on Wednesday 12th July ,2017 by 8:00am @the school of psychiatric Nursing.You are to come with two original passport photos,writing materials and original credentials .For enquiries .pls call 080 3333 2275.
