Get Guardian on GoogleMental health professionals, legal practitioners and advocates have called for stronger support systems, improved access to professional counselling and increased public awareness to help Nigerians overcome trauma and other emotional challenges.
They spoke at the 2026 Pain to Purpose Mental Health and Well-being Conference, organised by Flourish Life Centre in partnership with the Back to Light Foundation.
Speaking at the conference, the Executive Director of Flourish Life Centre, Tega Omogor, said the conference was organised to encourage people who had experienced pain and adversity to turn their experiences into purpose while building the resilience needed to navigate life’s challenges.
They stressed the need for collective efforts by families, schools, religious institutions, civil society organisations and relevant government agencies to create safe environments where victims could speak out, access justice and receive professional support.
The conference brought together mental health advocates, professionals and survivors of different forms of abuse and adversity to discuss emotional well-being, grief, trauma, resilience and the importance of rebuilding lives after difficult experiences.
Omogor, a therapist, said her experience working with young people had exposed what she described as a growing inability among some of them to cope with difficult situations.
She said the conference was inspired by the World Health Organisation’s mental health theme, which emphasises lived experiences, real voices and real change.
According to her, many people have experienced different forms of pain but have found ways to overcome them and use their experiences to support others.
She said, “Everybody is going through something. There is something called common humanity, which means that everyone experiences challenges. However, there are skills, techniques and tools that people can use to manage the pain they encounter.
“That is why we organised this conference: to allow people to hear real-life stories of individuals who have experienced difficult situations and found a way to recover.”
She stressed the need to equip young people with the mental strength and practical skills required to overcome adversity.
She urged victims of abuse and other traumatic experiences to seek help from psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists, adding that, “What happened to you was not your fault. However, healing is your responsibility. So, please, seek professional help.”
Omogor also questioned the reliability of available statistics on substance use and other social challenges, arguing that many victims remained silent about their experiences and were consequently excluded from official figures.
In her remarks, the founder of the Jewels Hive Initiative, Barrister Oluwatoyin Falaiye, described trauma as a widespread problem affecting individuals, families and society.
She said economic hardship, financial pressures and the difficulty of balancing work with family responsibilities were contributing to emotional distress in Nigerian households.
According to her, fathers often experience frustration when they cannot meet their families’ financial needs, while mothers struggle to balance raising children with domestic and professional responsibilities.
She added that children were also affected by the limited time parents could devote to family life because of the pressure to make ends meet.
Falaiye identified the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, the Child Rights Act and relevant state laws as important legal instruments for protecting victims of abuse and gender-based violence.
She also cited the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the Nigerian Police’s Gender Justice Department as institutions involved in addressing sexual abuse and other forms of violence.
She said: “Abuse thrives in silence. We must encourage children to speak up and share their experiences when they return home.”
Falaiye urged parents to establish trusting relationships with their children to enable them to freely discuss inappropriate experiences and report abuse.
She also called on religious institutions to intensify campaigns against abuse and advocated the reactivation of guidance and counselling departments in schools.
Also speaking, the Assistant Director of Media and Advocacy at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Francis Okogun, said the agency’s efforts to address substance abuse were guided by the National Drug Control Master Plan 2026–2030.
He explained that the plan was built around six pillars, with drug supply reduction and demand reduction forming key components of the agency’s interventions.
Okogun said: “People who have been sexually harassed, molested or subjected to traumatic experiences may begin to turn to substance use.
“We tell them that their experiences do not mean their lives are over. They can overcome the situation and seek help rather than resorting to drugs as a way of covering up their pain and trauma.”
Okogun said supply reduction focused on curbing the illicit trafficking, production, manufacturing, transportation and distribution of prohibited substances, while demand reduction centred on prevention, awareness and public education.
He noted that the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, launched in 2021 under the leadership of its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), had continued to promote drug prevention through engagements with schools, universities, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, teachers and parents.
According to him, the campaign seeks to prevent substance use by educating young people and communities about its dangers.
He said the NDLEA recognised the connection between traumatic experiences, sexual abuse and substance use, noting that some survivors might turn to drugs as a way of coping with emotional pain.
Okogun warned that substance dependence could worsen existing emotional and psychological challenges, adding that overcoming drug dependence could take years.
He said the testimonies of survivors who had overcome substance use, sexual molestation and abuse at the conference could inspire others still struggling with similar experiences to seek assistance.
