NGO, State Govt Collaborate to Tackle Mental Health Crisis in Yobe 

By, Sani Gazas Chinade, Damaturu

Mental health experts and government officials have called for increased awareness and prioritisation of mental health, especially in the workplace.

Speaking at the World Mental Health Day celebration in Damaturu on Thursday, Mr Ogenyi Isaac Agbo, the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Technical Working Group Coordinator, Save the Children International (SCI), emphasised the need to advocate for mental health and ensure it is prioritised in all aspects of life.

“We want to see how we can join our voices to advocate for mental health and ensure that our mental health is being prioritised.

“Not just in the workplace but everywhere we find ourselves because our mental health problems have been isolated,” he said.

Mal. Abdullahi Mai Muhammed Noor, a registered mental health nurse with Yobe State Specialist Hospital, identified genetic factors, environmental influences, economic hardship, and social factors as some of the causes of mental health disorders.

He advised people to adopt protective measures such as having rest, connecting with others, engaging in positive activities, and seeking intervention from NGOs to address mental health challenges.

Dr Hauwa Goni, the Director of Public Health in Yobe Ministry of Health, acknowledged that mental health is a global challenge and emphasised the state government’s commitment to addressing it.

She said the state government had appointed a State Mental Health Programme Manager and desk officers in the ministry of health and Primary Healthcare Board to prioritizse mental health.

“The state government is developing the capacity of health workers to be able to identify mental health problems among people as early as possible in order to address the problem,” Dr. Goni added.

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