…with 1m children displaced in Borno

The Minister of the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction (HAPR), Dr Benard Mohammed Doro, has sought for an increased investment in mental health and psychosocial support for children in conflict-affected states in the country.

Doro said the 17-year Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, has already displaced more than 1 million children

The Minister made the call on Wednesday, in Maiduguri, during a three-day National Policy Dialogue on Psychosocial Impact of Conflict on Children (PICC) in Nigeria, which was jointly organised by the office of the adviser to President Bola Tinubu on health matters, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the North East Development Commission ( NEDC ), as well as the office of the National Security Adviser.

The Minister revealed that mental health is very important, stating that the dichotomy between mental health and physical health is quite huge.

He said Nigerians tend to tilt more towards physical health because it contains symptoms that could be clearly seen, whereas mental health, even though the symptoms are subtle, appears more devastating.

“So emphasis as a nation should go back to the root causes of mental health so that it can be addressed,” the Minister said.

In his remarks, the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, said the State, being the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency, is happy that the office of the president on health matters is working on dialogue to see how traumatised children of Borno State and other parts of the northeast could be supported psychosocially.

Zulum who was represented by his deputy, Usman Kadafur, said the subject of the diologue “the Psychosocial Impact of Conflict on Our children”, is not an abstract policy debate for them in Borno State, but hopeful that the very fact they have convened this national policy diologue signals a long overdue recognition that the invisible wounds of war are as just as devastating as the visible ones, and that healing them requires the same national urgency as any military campaign.

The Governor added that over 1,400 schools have been destroyed across the northeast, with the majority in Borno, while more than 2, 295 teachers have been killed, and 19000 displaced.

He said that over one million children have been displaced by the crisis, with three million children across the region being in desperate need of emergency education support.

“And perhaps most chillingly, our children have been weaponised, abducted, indoctrinated and used as human bombs, sowing a climate of fear and mistrust that continues to poison community relations. But beyond the destroyed infrastructure and the casualty figures lies a deeper, quieter catastrophe: the shattered minds of our children,” he nsaid..

The Special Adviser to the President on health matters, Dr Anas Kolo, said the essence of the dialogue is to help everyone understand the effects of conflict on children, adding that the children in question are the country’s future.

Sge warned that inaction will lead to disaster, Dr Kolo said they have gathered to share their experiences to come up with a policy framework and direction so that President Bola Tinubu and the sub-national level will consider and save the children who are the future of the country.

She added that the programme will last for another two days to develop policy recommendations and direction.

The Special Adviser to the President on special needs and equal opportunities, Hon Mohammed Abba Isa, noted that children with disabilities bear a disproportionate burden during conflicts, facing displacement, trauma, disruption of education and healthcare, as well as increased risks of neglect, abuse and exploitation.