By Ibironke Ariyo
The Executive Director of Vanguard Against Drug Abuse (VGADA) Rehabilitation Centre, Dr. Hope Omeiza, has urged governments at all levels to prioritize children’s mental health for the development of the country.
Omeiza said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of Children’s Day 2024 is “For Every Child, All Rights.”
VGADA Detox Centre is a leading provider of addiction treatment and recovery services in Abuja.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 21.5 million Nigerian children under the age of 18 need mental health care, according to Omeiza.
He stressed that young people make up about seventy percent of the country’s population and thus solve their challenges which include drug addiction linked to mental health.
He also said that there was a need for the federal government to create an enabling environment to help children and youths overcome social challenges among others.
He added that prioritizing children’s mental health would also enable teachers and parents to learn more about the social functioning of children and their immediate environment.
According to him, we must continue to emphasize the importance of mental health because unless one is mentally healthy, one cannot contribute to one’s immediate environment.
“We must understand that contributing to our immediate society is a function of our mental health and we must collectively build a mentally healthy society across the country.”
“Without mental health, one cannot achieve productivity. This is because of the impact it has on children’s learning and academic performance, so this must be given priority,” he explained.
Omeiza said there was also a need to continually raise awareness of the consequences of drug abuse on children and the importance of improving mental health.
He also stressed the need for NGOs and CSOs to actively participate in improving mental health in communities.
“It is important because these children will grow up tomorrow and become community actors and so they must be aware of the importance of these things.
“Government must continue to support the people by providing them with mental health services while making them accessible,” he said.
Omeiza, however, appealed to children and youths to make the right choices that would improve their lives.
He appealed to stakeholders to join forces to end all forms of drug abuse and further appealed to children and young people to be given adequate guidance so that they do not engage in such acts. He also appealed to energetic individuals to join the organization to raise awareness and advocate for greater investment in child mental health care in Nigeria.
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