As part of activities marking this year’s World Mental Health Day, the Safe Spaces Campaign under the Health Situations platform held a mental health awareness event in Abuja themed “Drugs and Our Mental Health.”
The event, which featured a panel session, school outreach and creative advocacy displays, aimed to raise awareness on the intersection between substance use and mental well-being, while encouraging therapy and healthy coping mechanisms among young people.
The convener of the Safe Spaces Campaign and founder of Health Situations, Ngozi Ibe, said the initiative was designed to promote open conversations about mental health in schools and communities, while providing young people with alternative outlets to stress, trauma, and peer pressure.
“This year’s campaign focused on helping young people understand that therapy is not a weakness but a pathway to healing,” Ibe said. “We also launched our ‘Drop Your Drug, Take Up Therapy’ drive in partnership with NDLEA to support sobriety without shame.”
In his opening remark, Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, Senior Vice Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Leadership Newspapers, underscored the growing importance of mental health as a crucial part of modern living. He commended the initiative for spotlighting an overlooked issue and encouraged more media and institutions to use their platforms to normalize mental health conversations.
“Mental health is not a luxury, it is a necessity for survival in today’s world,” Ishiekwene stated. “What initiatives like Safe Spaces are doing is building resilience in a generation that must learn to cope, communicate, and care for themselves.”
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), represented by Francis Okogun, reiterated the agency’s commitment to supporting school-based sensitization programmes and awareness campaigns to reduce drug use among young people.
Okogun noted that partnerships like Safe Spaces complement NDLEA’s ongoing school drives and youth outreach efforts aimed at prevention rather than punishment. He emphasised that early intervention and consistent awareness were critical in building a drug-free generation.
One of the most moving moments of the event came from Abdumalik Yahya, a speaker who shared his personal journey from drug addiction to sobriety. In his emotional testimony, Yahya recounted his struggles and recovery, urging young people to seek healthier coping mechanisms when faced with life’s challenges.
“I thought drugs would help me escape my pain,” he said, “but they only deepened it. What truly healed me was finding community, therapy, and purpose. That’s what Safe Spaces is offering today.”
The event drew mental health professionals, educators, students, and advocates, who participated in discussions on emotional management, stigma reduction, and therapy awareness. Poetry performances, open-mic reflections, and creative exhibitions added depth to the campaign’s message.
Ngozi Ibe further announced that the Safe Spaces Club will soon be established in secondary schools to sustain the conversation beyond the annual campaign. The club will hold weekly sessions incorporating therapy-inspired learning, emotional intelligence, and peer-support discussions, alongside creative and life-skill activities.
“Our goal is to make mental health education a part of school culture,” she said. “We want students to have safe environments where they can talk, learn coping tools, and get help early.”
The Safe Spaces initiative, which has previously collaborated with NDLEA X Spaces and other partners, continues to position itself as a leading youth-driven platform for mental health advocacy, fostering inclusive and stigma-free spaces for young Nigerians to thrive.
