LEADING THE CAMPAIGN FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS IN AFRICA

This journey in the field of mental health began with a magazine on relationships and marriage, where people usually send their challenges after going through the articles. Then the advocacy for right thinking and better parenting through meetings and speaking engagements in local communities. Being privy to the plight of the people and sourcing for the right solution birthed The Institute of Counselling In Nigeria.

In cultures like ours rooted in ignorance, patriarchy and conspiracy of silence where people spend their lives seeking validation and acquiring wealth through greedy and dubious means, it is not surprising that people are dealing with a lot of mental health issues.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in four Nigerians – about 50 million people – are suffering from some sort of mental illness. Also, National Depression Report revealed that 31.6 per cent of the population reported symptoms of depression in 2018.

Nigeria being the 7th largest nation in the world now ranks 15th in the world in the frequency of suicide.

Despite having a population of over 180 million, there are fewer than 200 psychiatrists in Nigeria — or just one for every 1 million people, (BioMed Central, 2016). The saddest fact; According to Dr Auwal Sani Salihu (2019), 6 out of 10 Nigerian women are suffering from mental challenges. This indicates that 59.5 million out of 99.1 million women in Nigeria are suffering from one mental health challenge or the other.

The realisation of these issues and their implications on the future of Nigeria birthed the vision of The Institute of counselling in Nigeria. Its been a tough journey talking about mental health in a country where people will rather use spiritual means to cure depression, drink concoctions than seek professional help for their sex and sexuality issues, stigmatise anyone that have any form of mental health issue and consider abuse and punishment as the best form of parenting.

We have been doing the job of advocacy and prevention through training, sensitisations, and interventions of various forms. From secondary school to government organisations, local communities to the big cities, the Institute of counselling just like our mantra says, has been leading the crusade of mental health in Nigeria.