The utilization of art for therapeutic purposes in the formal healthcare setting is gradually gaining prominence in Nigeria. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions. Therefore, we explored the pooled effect of the various arts-based interventions in managing clinical disorders in hospitalized and out-patients in Nigeria. An electronic search of PubMed, African Journal Online, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases was carried out from the inception of the databases to October 31, 2021. Three researchers using Rayyan QCRI software independently screened and de-duplicated the identified studies. Eight eligible studies were selected for this review, with a total of 541 participants. The earliest study was published in 2012. Seven of the eight studies were conducted in the Southern part of Nigeria. There were four quasi-experimental studies, two randomized controlled trials, and two comparative cross-sectional studies. The predominant art forms were music (three) and dance/movement (three), followed by visual art (two). The groups of patients in the identified studies were managed for mental health problems (two), hypertension (two), Parkinson’s disease (one), spinal cord injury (one), autistic spectrum disorder (one), and chronic back pain (one). In all the studies, the art-based intervention significantly improved the overall outcome of the patients. The findings of the available studies have proven to yield a significant positive outcome in managing different health conditions. However, there is a need to conduct more high-quality research in this field in Nigeria.

Reflective practice has evolved over the years from being an informal subconscious process to a deliberate and formal one. Residency training programs are avenues for preparing residents for a lifetime of specialist practice, and reflective practice is being incorporated into the curriculum of the program in many parts of the world. There is no universal template for carrying out reflective practice; however, there appear to be accruable benefits to residents who can surmount the barriers and undergo some form of reflection using any of the available models. This article seeks to appraise reflective practice and the inherent benefits to the resident doctor and his practice. Thus, it makes a case for incorporating reflection into the curriculum of residency training programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. It also demonstrates the need to ensure standardized, reproducible methods of reflection globally.