International Youth Day, 2014

Tuesday 12th August, 2014 is the UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY.

The theme for this year's campaign is : Youth and Mental Health under the slogan 

"Mental Health Matters"

Youth with mental health conditions can often experience stigma and discrimination, which in turn can lead to exclusion and/or discourage people from seeking help for fear of being negatively ‘labelled’.

 Efforts are needed to overcome this stigma to ensure that young people with mental health conditions can lead full and healthy lives free of isolation and unnecessary shame, and that they openly seek the services and support they need.

The stress on the average Nigerian youth, accompanied with the expectation of the world to rise above the average often causes some of the young ones to "Lose it".

For instance, an eighteen year old Nigerian girl is faced with the problems of either getting into school or staying in school. She also has to deal with her discovery of her sexuality and she does this, often in silence.

Photo by David Kanigan

According to the American Teens' sexual and reproductive health, 61% of 18 year olds have had sex and each year, almost 615,000 U.S. women aged 15–19 become pregnant. Two-thirds of all teen pregnancies occur among the oldest teens (18–19-year-olds).

We might choose to say this has nothing to do with us in Nigeria but according to the Eagle online, Lagos state alone records about 678 rape cases in one year. That accounts for only the reported cases excluding the majority of cases that are kept in the dark with the excuse of not "soiling" the family name. 

The infringe on the basic youth rights in the country and the lack of basic social amenities and the decay of historical "moral values" has put unnecessary pressure on the mental health of the average Nigerian Youth. 

Some of Nigeria's potential great youths, I hold very dear to heart. NYSC, 2011.

I join the United Nations International Youth Day, 2014, to solicit for a positive immediate change, to reduce the vulnerability of the Nigerian Youth to Mental Illnesses and help the already mentally ill receive the needed medical attention.

I advocate for a conducive Nigerian environment. For Youths, For All!

CREDITS:

http://en.unesco.org/events/international-youth-day-2014

http://undesadspd.org/youth/internationalyouthday/2014.aspx

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html

http://davidkanigan.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/woman-stretch-back-arms.jpg?w=600&h=744

http://theeagleonline.com.ng/lagos-records-678-rape-cases-in-one-year/