Young Nigerians need mental health education. The Ministry of Education cannot ignore mental health education any longer. Half of Nigeria's population are below the age of 18. With the country being the sixth most populous country in the world and knowing that almost half of all psychiatric illnesses will manifest by age 14 years, we must act quick. Without mental health education as a preventive measure, our country is sitting on a time bomb. 

This is because many students about to leave secondary school to universities are not literate about mental health issues, fall prey to negatives coping mechanisms like drugs, cannot identify stressors or navigate stress, and cannot identify signs of mental illness or know when to visit a psychiatrist. 

It will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes for mental illnesses to be recognized. It will also reduce the negative psychosocial impacts of mental illnesses and foster a healthy lifestyle. 

Imagine if suicidal thoughts, a common sign of many psychiatric illnesses, were approached like the common cold. Maybe a young man like Jamal, a 17-year-old boy from a struggling family in Ibadan, would have been able to seek out mental health care with the support of the school system.  

Moreover, several studies show that peers are often the first form of contact for youths dealing with mental illness and disorders. And teachers can notice changes in a students’ behavior or signs that may tell if a child is being abused, however, many of them are not equipped enough to handle such issues.

People living with mental illness face many injustices including physical assault and negligence. In my society, people living with severe psychiatric illnesses are often neglected. It's common to see an individual who should be in psychiatric care for schizophrenia roaming the streets butt-naked and abandoned.  

Although that is not the reality for everyone diagnosed with mental illness, they are stigmatized and discriminated in religion, culture, and workplace. It is not uncommon for a person living with mental illness to visit the doctor after being subjected to gruesome treatment by a local medicine man or a pastor, being starved or beaten to drive the devil out, out of the ignorance of their family.

I strongly believe that the average Nigerian Student should be educated, particularly from a young age, on mental health issues. I believe that mental health education in the senior secondary school curriculum in Oyo state by the Honorable Commissioner of Education in Oyo state as well as the Minister for Education.