CrispNG’s maiden lecture: Nigeria needs a Ministry of Men Affairs – Halima Layeni
Halima Layeni
Halima Layeni, the founder and executive director of the Life After Abuse Foundation, has called for the establishment of a Ministry of Men Affairs to address the challenges faced by men in the society.
Speaking at Crisp Nigeria’s inaugural annual lecture on Saturday, April 17, 2024, Layeni raised concerns about the lack of support for men and boys in Nigeria.
In her lecture titled “Challenges of Building in Nigeria: Perspectives of Young Change Makers,” Layeni emphasized the need for institutional support for men’s mental health and other issues. The event, themed “Nigeria of Our Dreams: Are the Youths Involved?”, was organized to celebrate International Youth Day.
The programme featured a lineup of notable speakers, including former Minister Barr. Solomon Dalung, Prof. Luke Anorue, Dr. Ambrose Igboke, Aisha Wakaso and Busaosowo Bisong, who all contributed to the discussion on youth involvement in shaping Nigeria’s future.
What LAAF is about
“Life After Abuse Foundation (LAAF) is a non-profit organisation that provides education, mentorship, and mental health support to boys and men globally. We achieve this through policy involvement, media activism, community and organizational engagement, and psychotherapy. We have been privileged to directly reach over 10,000 boys and men worldwide. The initiative has also garnered recognition from the United States government, the United Nations, Change.org, The Women’s Treaty, the Black Healthcare Professional Network in Canada, and the Governor of Lagos State.
Why men’s mental health?
“So, why men’s mental health? This is a question many people ask me all the time. First, we focus on men’s mental health because there is currently a significant stigma surrounding it.
“According to a 2017 survey by the WHO, only 20% of Nigerians with mental health issues sought help, with men being significantly less likely to seek help than women. Societal expectations dictate that men should not display weakness, which explains the lower rates of men seeking help.
“Additionally, we face the issue of high suicide rates among men. A 2019 report by the WHO states that 75% of all suicide cases in Nigeria were carried out by men.
“We also have the issue of underdiagnosis and lack of access to care. As we speak, there are few or non-existent social support centers for men and boys in Nigeria, while thousands exist for women and girls. This lack of access to care and underdiagnosis is compounded by the high rate of substance abuse among men. A 2018 national survey on drug use and health found that 12.7% of Nigerian men aged 15 to 65 had used drugs in the past year, with many turning to substances to cope with mental health challenges.
“This is the foundation on which the Life After Abuse men’s initiative was built—the fact that there is really no help for boys and men. Men have been socially conditioned to “suck it up,” to be men, not to cry, not to show compassion, not to seek help, and not to be seen even asking for help—forgetting that men are equally human, that they have emotions, and that they deserve to be heard. They deserve to have their feelings and experiences validated.
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The Challenges and way out
“In my over three years of driving this initiative, we have certainly encountered challenges, one of which is addressing the pervasive stigma surrounding mental health, particularly in a conservative country like Nigeria. As I mentioned earlier, there is currently a stigma surrounding mental health, especially men’s mental health, simply because they are men.
“To overcome this, we have focused on raising awareness through educational programs, community outreach, youth initiatives, and emphasizing the importance of men’s mental health and the need for a supportive environment for survival. We engage with policy leaders, politicians, traditional rulers, young people, and, most importantly, the men themselves.
“Another challenge we have encountered in the course of our work is securing adequate funding for resources. As many know, most funding goes toward women and girls’ initiatives, which is common and fair, given the long-standing oppression of women and girls. However, we also need to recognize that in a country with two genders, it is essential to ensure that boys and men gain access to equal resources and opportunities.
“Currently, the world is working toward empowering women and girls while leaving boys and men behind, which is counterproductive. If we are to achieve an equal world, we must fight and advocate for both genders to have equal access to opportunities and resources.
“We have a 5-point agenda which is a policy brief on the establishment of the inaugural Ministry of Men’s Affairs, something that is still uncommon in many nations, even in the United States. We strongly believe that establishing such a ministry would solve over half of Nigeria’s problems.
“The 5-point agenda is simple: improving health outcomes, tackling the silent crisis of depression among men through dedicated services and stigma reduction, and promoting men’s healthcare through tailored health initiatives and education.
“The 5-point agenda also addresses violence against men. For those who don’t know, I have been privileged to directly reach over 10,000 boys and men, and I can confidently say that boys and men also suffer abuse. The only reason why it’s underreported is because of the culture of silence.
“We have socially conditioned men and boys not to speak about their experiences, which is why such cases rarely make the news. We hope that the Ministry of Men’s Affairs would also ensure the reporting and addressing of violence against men, ensuring that they receive appropriate support and protection.
“Finally, we hope to create economic opportunities. As I mentioned, most funding goes toward women and girls’ empowerment, leaving boys and men out. As a result, we have more empowered women while many men remain without access to opportunities or funding for their businesses.
“We hope to address this by implementing targeted policies and legislative changes. We are advocating for more funding to develop workplace suicide prevention policies, support crisis intervention legislation, and fund research on men’s mental health.”
