YCee Opens Up on Why He Stopped Bipolar Disorder Treatment After Returning to Nigeria
- Nigerian rapper YCee revealed he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in London in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown
- YCee disclosed he had to pause his treatment after relocating back to Lagos due to a shortage of mental health professionals
- The rapper called out Nigeria's broader healthcare gap, saying the problem extends beyond mental health awareness alone
Nigerian rapper YCee has spoken candidly about living with bipolar disorder and the moment his treatment came to a halt after returning home to Nigeria.
During an interview with Arise TV on July 19, 2026, the artist born Oludemilade Martin Alejo opened up about a mental health journey that began years before he ever had a name for what he was going through.
Source: Instagram
According to him, he spent roughly six years experiencing symptoms before doctors in London finally arrived at a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown.
"I went through, like, different diagnoses before, you know, we arrived at that," he said, recalling the drawn-out process of being in and out of hospital while in the UK.
YCee speaks on how London changed his perspective
YCee credited his time in London with opening his eyes to mental health as a subject he had never seriously engaged with before.
He noted that the city's public health response during the pandemic went beyond physical illness, with visible support lines and widespread messaging around emotional wellbeing running alongside COVID-19 communications.
"I think before 2020, I don't think I'd even, like, ever said the phrase 'mental health' or, you know, come across that as a conversation, especially, you know, coming from Nigeria," he admitted.
That shift in awareness, he said, fundamentally changed how he sees life.
Source: Instagram
YCee speaks on Nigeria's mental health gap
The trouble began when YCee returned to Lagos and attempted to continue the treatment plan set up for him in the UK.
The rapper said the experience quickly exposed just how limited Nigeria's mental healthcare infrastructure is, pointing to a severe shortage of psychiatrists, psychologists and related professionals as a key barrier.
"It's not even just lack of awareness, there's like, you know, lack of personnel," he explained, referencing figures from around 2024 that he said pointed to a critically small number of mental health specialists working across the country.
YCee was careful to frame the issue as part of a much larger systemic failure, arguing that Nigerians face difficulty accessing even basic medical care, let alone specialist support.
"You still have, like, people that can't necessarily access not even just premium healthcare, but reasonable healthcare," he said.
Watch the video of YCee speaking about his bipolar disorder treatment below:
YCee defends remarks on 'Olodo Uprising'
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigerian rapper YCee responded to the backlash he faced after describing the rise of brain‑rot content as the “olodo uprising” and citing TikToker Peller as an example.
Critics argued he could have made his point without mentioning Peller’s name, while others debated whether success in entertainment should be tied to education.
Responding in a Cool FM Lagos interview, YCee stood by his statement, refused to apologise, and stressed that his concern was about the growing popularity of content that prioritises entertainment over education.
Source: Legit.ng
