Ibadan: The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a motion advocating the integration of mental health education, counselling services, and structured support systems across schools in the state.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the house expressed concern over the alarming statistics and emotional struggles of students dealing with depression, anxiety, bullying, and substance use. A motion, co-sponsored by four lawmakers, called for a comprehensive reform of the school system’s approach to mental health. The motion, titled ‘Need to Integrate Mental Health Education, Counselling Services, and Structured Support Systems in Primary and Secondary Schools in Oyo State,’ was presented by Mrs Olufunke Comforter-Olajide (PDP-Ibadan North 1), alongside Mr Rilwan Gbadamosi Saminu (PDP-Atisbo/Saki East), Mr Johnson Ogundele (PDP-Oriire), and the House Leader, Mr Sanjo Adedoyin (PDP-Ogbomoso South).
Comforter-Olajide highlighted the urgency of the proposal by citing recent UNICEF findings that one in six Nigerian youths, aged 15 to 24, experience depression, lack of motivation, and anxiety. She emphasized that mental health is a crucial aspect of students’ well-being and academic performance but has been largely neglected. She noted that many children in primary and secondary schools face psychological struggles such as anxiety, depression, stress, substance use, ADHD, and emotional trauma, influenced by factors like academic pressure, bullying, socio-economic hardship, and family instability.
Comforter-Olajide pointed out that many students’ mental and emotional struggles remain undiagnosed due to a lack of awareness, support systems, and trained personnel. She explained that students affected by domestic issues such as abuse, neglect, separation, or trauma often become unresponsive or disengaged in class. These students are frequently misjudged or isolated without support or counselling intervention. She also raised concerns about undiagnosed mental illnesses in students due to inadequate awareness and a lack of trained personnel in schools.
She further explained that the current school curricula lack robust mental health education, leaving students and teachers ill-equipped to understand or manage emotional distress or identify early warning signs that can prevent worsening mental health outcomes. Some schools in the state place students with learning difficulties alongside those without support systems, leading to disparities in performance, stigmatisation, bullying, and, in severe cases, school dropout, which in turn, leads to mental health issues.
NAN reports that the members of the house unanimously acknowledged the risk of leaving the issue unaddressed, including increased substance abuse, school violence, and youth unpreparedness for adult responsibilities. They concluded that without an urgent response, the lack of structured intervention would put society at long-term risk of higher youth mental illness rates, poor academic outcomes, and reduced national productivity.
In his resolution, the Speaker, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin, commended Gov. Seyi Makinde for his ongoing efforts in the health sector reforms. He particularly mentioned the recent partnership with UNICEF to enrol 10,000 pupils in the state’s Health Insurance Scheme. Ogundoyin urged the executive arm of government to integrate mental health education into the school curricula, deploy professional counsellors across public schools and establish mental health awareness clubs and campaigns. He also called for the training of teachers on early signs of emotional and behavioural distress. According to him, students identified to be at risk are to be covered under the health insurance scheme.