The Senate has called for the inclusion of mental health education in the national academic curriculum to tackle the increasing psychological and emotional challenges among students and educators in the country.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Sen. (Dr.) Ipalibo Harry Banigo, made the call on Monday at a mental health programme organised by the Mandate Health Empowerment Initiative (MHEI) in Abuja.
Banigo, who also serves as Grand Patron of MHEI and the Association of Mental Health Reform Organisations in Africa, said mental health education was essential for improving discipline, learning outcomes, and overall productivity in the education system.
“Education goes beyond the pursuit of grades; it is about shaping character and building vision. However, we cannot expect excellence from a mind burdened by anxiety, depression, or hopelessness,” she said.
The senator decried the rising cases of academic burnout, substance abuse, and emotional distress among students and teachers, stressing that such issues were often misunderstood or ignored.
“We must move from silence to action — from stigma to support. Schools should become places of both intellectual development and emotional growth,” Banigo added.
She reaffirmed the Senate Committee’s commitment to work with the Ministries of Education and Health to integrate mental health education into school curricula and train teachers and counsellors in emotional intelligence and crisis management.
According to her, there is also a need to establish mental health desks in all schools, empower parents through community-based awareness campaigns, and invest in research and data to inform policy decisions.
In his remarks, Founder and President of MHEI, Dr. Ameh Abba, said mental health should be treated as a developmental priority rather than a purely medical issue.
“For too long, mental health has been confined to hospitals. It must now be seen as a pillar of education, national productivity, and community resilience,” he said.
Abba added that emotionally supportive learning environments and teacher training were vital for building resilience among students.
The event featured a National Students–Parents–Teachers Roundtable in Abuja and a continental webinar hosted under the Association of Mental Health Reform Organisations in Africa (AMHROA).
Over 120 participants, including students, parents, teachers, and education officials, attended the roundtable held at the Federal Ministry of Education Secretariat.
Participants from 14 African countries also joined the webinar to discuss reforms aimed at integrating mental health into education systems across the continent.
