From Seed to Mighty Tree: Leadership, Access, and the Global Vision of Professor Olayinka Omigbodun

When Professor Olayinka Omigbodun, past president of IACAPAP (2010–2014) reflects on her journey in child and adolescent psychiatry, she returns to a simple image: a seed, carefully nurtured, growing into a tree that produces many more seeds. 

Her story is deeply personal and unmistakably global. 

Roots: Security, Belonging, and Early Influences 
Raised in Nigeria after the early loss of her father, she credits her mother’s determination to keep her children close despite financial hardship — as foundational to her understanding of mental health. In a context where extended fostering was common, her mother chose relational stability over material convenience. 

To watch the full interview, visit: https://youtu.be/7XrDUO73LSE 

That early experience shaped her conviction that children require not only services, but security and belonging. 

Initially drawn to paediatrics, she quickly realised her temperament aligned more closely with psychiatry’s holistic lens. Guided by mentors, she entered child and adolescent psychiatry, working across schools, juvenile justice settings, and community institutions. Over time, her impact multiplied through mentorship. Today, many leaders across Africa trace part of their training lineage to her work. 

Her association with the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) began with the 2004 Berlin Congress, where she attended as a Donald J. Cohen Fellow. Nearly unable to obtain a visa, she arrived uncertain of her place among senior global colleagues. Her poster — drawn from a large epidemiological study of Nigerian adolescents, won second prize. That moment reshaped her confidence and trajectory. 

Under the leadership of Myron Belfer, she was invited to serve as a Presidential Fellow and later joined the Executive Committee. Her involvement deepened across subsequent congresses and study groups, strengthening African participation and collaboration. These efforts contributed to the growth of regional networks and the emergence of the African Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions. In 2010, she assumed the IACAPAP presidency (2010–2014), bringing a deliberate focus on low- and middle-income countries. 

During her presidency of IACAPAP from 2010 to 2014, she focused on inclusion, mentorship, and global engagement. At home, the Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, seeded with support from the MacArthur Foundation, trained multidisciplinary professionals from more than a dozen African countries, many of whom now lead services and academic programmes across the continent. For her, leadership is measured not in titles, but in generativity: 

“I have people, mentees, that have risen up, many of them are actually even better than me in many different areas… doing great and awesome things. And, basically. I think that's the… that's success. I always say.” 

Her message was clear and constructive: global congresses must proactively engage with foreign ministries and diplomatic channels to facilitate participation from countries that carry a substantial proportion of the world’s youth mental health burden. She emphasized that if we truly believe no one should be left behind, access must be intentionally created and protected. In her view, this is a responsibility that international and multilateral bodies must actively uphold.

As the conversation closed, she returned to her metaphor. 
“Well, final thoughts is that a little seed… nurtured… and become a mighty tree.” 

And later in the same reflection: 
“I see myself as that seed. Seed, planted, it was nurtured… And that seed that was planted… has grown.” 

She sees herself as one such seed, planted and supported within IACAPAP during the leadership of Professor Belfer and others. That seed has grown, and in turn produced many more. Her journey illustrates what international collaboration can achieve when mentorship, opportunity, and inclusion converge. For IACAPAP, her story is both affirmation and reminder: when global structures create space for emerging voices, those voices transform the field. And when seeds are nurtured, forests follow. 

Professor Omigbodun’s reflections on leadership, mentorship, and global equity extend far beyond these highlights. To explore the complete conversation and her insights in full, view the interview here:

👉 Access the full interview here: https://youtu.be/7XrDUO73LSE 

IACAPAP Bulletin, Issue 81