Imagine escaping a bomb blast targeted at you and your peers whilst in school because you stayed back home that day. Imagine having to hear about a banditry attack on your school just a day after leaving school hostel for health reasons. Can you also imagine how traumatic it must be returning to school and your peers who were kidnapped months ago are yet to fill their seats? This isn’t a far fetched story, it is the reality of many adolescents resident in Kaduna state.

Adolescence is a formative stage consisting of emotional, physical, and social changes making it a crucial phase in one’s life. Exposure to poverty, Violence and constant invalidation can increase their vulnerability to mental health problems.

Nigeria is a country in crisis, with Kaduna state serving as one of the major receiving hub, posing a significant threat to the overall well-being of its residents, particularly adolescent students.

Despite the fact that our educational curriculum is heavily loaded, we still have a stiffened learning environment that discourages expressiveness which in-turn hinders student’s from achieving excellent academic performance.

Although the Kaduna State Executive Council recently recommitted to providing 12 years of free education to its resident, there has been a lack of accessible psychological welfare as stipulated by the Kaduna StateEducation Policy (2015) Section 4.2.1 stating that the government shall provide educational services such as Guidance and Counseling for primary Education.

WHY WE MUST ACT NOW!

• According to the WHO, an estimate of 1 in 7 10-19 year-olds globally, experience mental health conditions which remain undiagnosed and untreated.

• For the past 2 years, Kaduna state has faced horrifying banditry attacks resulting in over 140 kidnapped student cases, this shows how adolescents are constantly exposed to insecurity, violence and great adversity which subsequently affects their academic performance.

 • With the heightened agitations over insecurity, students have had to develop fear, anxiety, depression and even behavioral disorders yet they have no one to talk to neither do they have access to psychosocial support.

• Drug abuse is fast becoming a sought after coping mechanism, this not only cripples their critical thinking but also threatens their future.

WHAT MUST BE DONE?

• The Honourable Commissioner for Education must improve access to Guidance and Counseling units in public schools to ensure students equitably access mental health first aids. This will ensure we build a mentally conducive learning environment for all adolescents to thrive, academically.

• Declare this unit compulsory in all schools as stipulated in the National Policy on Education (2013)

• Train teachers on lay counseling to enhance accessibility and build trust. 

Please sign my petition, in doing so, you will increase adolescent mental health awareness and help young students live to their truest potentials with little to no psychological constraints!