SEF alerts Nigerians to mental health risk among secondary school students

*Sam Empowerment Foundation expresses concerns over the growing mental health challenges faced by adolescents, especially secondary school students in Nigeria

Prosper Okoye

Sam Empowerment Foundation (SEF) has raised concerns over the growing mental health challenges faced by adolescents, especially those students in secondary schools in Nigeria.

The Foundation made stated this Friday, May 31, 2025, during a day’s sensitisation programme held at the Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, in Abuja.

The event was planned to mark the 2025 Children’s Day and International Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Speaking at the event, Kiema Ogunlana, Programme Director of SEF, emphasised the importance of mental wellness to national development.

Ogunlana said: “Mental health is a major challenge, even among children.

“Many young people are going through difficult experiences without any clear support system.

“If a child does not have emotional and mental stability, they cannot be productive — and that, in turn, affects national development.”

On rising cases of depression, suicide among school children

It is noted the SEF Programme Director’s remarks have come in regard to the rising cases of depression and suicide among school-age children in recent times.

One of the most recent incidents involved an 18-year-old female student in Kubwa, Abuja, who attempted suicide after receiving a disappointing result in her Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination.

After sitting the examination for the second time without meeting the required cut-off mark to gain an admission, she became distraught and ingested 12 tablets of paracetamol. She was later hospitalised and treated, according to report.

Ogunlana further explained that the outreach was part of SEF’s broader commitment to safeguarding students’ mental health.

She stated: “We provide the students with a toll-free line they can call or text for help.

Beyond this event, we plan to escalate our support so that any student in distress can access a safe space, free from judgment or stigma.”

The Programme Director said despite the school’s urban location, several students live with elderly parents or guardians who struggle to meet their basic needs.

This, she said, contributes to their emotional struggles and undermines their ability to focus in class.

Ogunlana stated: “We’re considering establishing a mental health club here to ensure sustainability.

“I noticed many students are silently battling pain behind forced smiles. When you speak to them, you realise the depth of their sadness.

“Through this intervention, we hope to restore hope and bring back their smiles.”

In respect of this year’s theme, “Stand Tall, Speak Up: Building a Bully-Free and Period-Positive Generation”, she noted it guided the day’s activities.

The girls were taught how to care for themselves during menstruation, and boys were included in the session to help foster empathy and understanding.

Ogunlana explained: “We showed them that menstruation is normal. Including the boys helped them realise that girls go through hormonal changes during their period and need support, not ridicule.”

She expressed appreciation to the school management for allowing access to the students and thanked SEF Founder, Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Achimugu, for her unwavering support in making the programme a reality.

Chiamaka Nwankwo, SEF’s mental health expert, also engaged the students in open conversations to encourage them to share their fears, joys, and personal challenges.

Mrs. Mudashiru Fatima, Senior Mistress Academics, confirmed the presence of mental health struggles among students.

She said: “We don’t judge them because we don’t always know what they’re going through.

“We, the teachers, are often their last hope. They open up to us more than they do to their parents. “When a child misbehaves, we try to understand the root causes. Many times, it’s due to neglect or absence of parental care.”

Mrs. Fatima added that some students sponsor themselves through school, even though school fees are as low as N6,500.

“Many still can’t afford it. Some of us teachers step in to pay—not because we have the money, but because we want these children to at least learn how to read and write.”

Olaniyi Okikiola, the Assistant Head Boy, said the programme helped him better understand the needs of female classmates.

“I learnt that girls deserve attention, especially during their period, because they experience mood swings. “These are things we boys often make fun of. Going forward, I’ll make an effort to be more understanding and supportive — as a friend, classmate, and fellow human being,” he said.

Isuwa Gift Tanko, a female student in JSS 3, expressed gratitude to SEF for the training.

She stated: “They taught us how to stay clean and care for ourselves during our period. I won’t take that knowledge for granted.

“I also learnt that it’s important to share our problems with trusted friends and to keep a journal to express how we feel.”

At the end of the programme, SEF distributed Dignity Kits containing sanitary pads, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving sticks, Vaseline, roll-on deodorant, and tissue paper.

Food items donated by partners were also shared among the students.

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