Mental Health Programme Builds Emotional Resilience in Lagos School Students
Korede Abdullah 
LAGOS, Nigeria – More than 300 students at Lagos City College and Wesley College, Yaba, have benefitted from the Behavioural, Emotional & Safety Support (B.E.S.S.) Programme, a mental health initiative led by neuro-psychiatrist Dr Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, through The Mental Health Conference (TMHC) and Pinnacle Medical Services.
The programme, themed “Trauma: It’s Okay Not to Be Okay,” concluded on Thursday, using storytelling, role-play and guided conversations to teach young people how to recognise stress, manage emotions and seek help.
“Our children face academic pressure, bullying, family challenges and social media anxiety,” Dr Kadiri said. “This programme equips them with emotional survival tools. When we invest in mental health early, we build safer societies.”
Teachers also received training on how to create supportive classrooms and detect early signs of distress.
One student, aged 15, shared: “I used to think trauma only meant death or violence. Now I understand that stress itself can harm our minds, and talking about it is healthy.”
Dr Kadiri said the programme aims to reach 10,000 students by 2026 and urged organisations to support mental health as an “investment in national stability and future workforce strength.”
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