FG to increase psychological support for victims of insecurity, disasters – Minister

From Jude Owuamanam, Jos

The Federal Government has pledged to strengthen psychological support for victims of insecurity, violent conflicts and disasters across the country, declaring that humanitarian interventions must go beyond the distribution of relief materials to address the emotional and psychological trauma suffered by affected individuals and communities.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, who disclosed this in Jos, Plateau State, said the government would continue to prioritise the psychological well-being of victims, particularly women, children and internally displaced persons (IDPs), as part of efforts to promote healing, recovery and resilience in communities devastated by violence and humanitarian emergencies.

The minister spoke at the Annual National Congress and Scientific Conference of the Nigeria Association of Clinical Psychologists (NACP), where the association also called for increased investment in mental health services, improved access to professional psychological care and greater integration of mental health interventions into humanitarian and social welfare programmes.

Doro said the administration of President Bola Tinubu remained committed to addressing humanitarian challenges and supporting displaced persons, particularly in Plateau, Benue and Kaduna states, where recurring attacks and insecurity had left many families traumatised and deprived of their livelihoods.

He observed that while the provision of food, shelter and other relief materials remained essential, such assistance alone could not adequately address the long-term consequences of traumatic experiences, stressing the need for deliberate interventions to identify, visit and provide psychological support to affected individuals and communities.

“We will continue to do our best to alleviate the suffering of victims of attacks,” the minister assured.

Expressing concern over the devastating impact of persistent attacks in Plateau State, Doro said women, children and other vulnerable groups had suffered tremendously from insecurity, with many survivors continuing to grapple with the psychological consequences of witnessing killings, destruction of property and displacement.

He particularly drew attention to the plight of children exposed to violent incidents, noting that such experiences could have lasting effects on their emotional development and general well-being if appropriate psychological interventions were not provided.

According to him, sustainable recovery in conflict-affected communities would require a comprehensive approach that combined humanitarian relief with psychological care, rehabilitation and measures designed to rebuild confidence and resilience among survivors.

Drawing from his international experience as a pharmacist involved in humanitarian services, including his engagement in Maiduguri, Borno State, the minister emphasised the need to protect children and place their welfare at the centre of humanitarian interventions.

“We speak for the children in Maiduguri. Here in Jos, let us build for the children.”

Doro described the conference theme, “From Trauma to Resilience: Bringing Research and Practice Together,” as timely and relevant, particularly against the backdrop of recurring insecurity and humanitarian emergencies in different parts of the country.

He urged clinical psychologists and other professionals involved in humanitarian services to contribute their expertise towards helping affected communities overcome trauma and rebuild their lives.

President of the Nigeria Association of Clinical Psychologists, Gloria Karuri, called for greater attention to mental health challenges in the country, warning that inadequate investment in psychological services could worsen the conditions of individuals already struggling with emotional and psychological difficulties.

Karuri stressed the importance of early intervention, professional care and sustained public awareness in preventing the deterioration of mental health conditions, particularly among vulnerable populations exposed to violence, displacement and other traumatic experiences.

She disclosed that her administration had recorded significant achievements, including improvements in accommodation facilities and a threefold increase in the association’s membership, which she described as an indication of growing professional engagement and organisational development.

The NACP president expressed optimism that the association would continue to equip its centres with the facilities and professional resources required to improve service delivery, while revealing that efforts were underway to secure a permanent national secretariat.

She also disclosed that relevant curricula had been reviewed to strengthen professional practice and expand the association’s capacity to deliver effective psychological services across the country.

Karuri commended the Plateau State Government for supporting the activities of the association and providing an enabling environment for the hosting of the national conference.

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, John Gana, also commended stakeholders and members of the association for their contributions towards the successful hosting of the congress, observing that persistent conflicts, insecurity, displacement and humanitarian emergencies had continued to expose communities to severe psychological challenges.

Gana called for stronger collaboration between researchers and practitioners, stressing that scientific research should not remain confined to academic publications but must be translated into practical interventions capable of addressing the challenges confronting affected individuals and communities.

In a lead presentation, humanitarian clinical psychologist and facilitator, Evans Binan Dami, identified extreme poverty, social disorder, the growing number of out-of-school children, persistent attacks and inadequate parenting as major challenges undermining community resilience in Nigeria.

Dami expressed concern over the number of children outside the formal education system, citing figures he attributed to UNICEF archives, which he said put the number at approximately 18 million.

He maintained that the combination of poverty, insecurity, inadequate access to education and weak social support systems had continued to expose vulnerable populations, particularly children and young people, to conditions capable of undermining their psychological well-being and future development.

The clinical psychologist also lamented the inadequate availability of mental health services in several parts of the country, advocating the integration of psychological care into social welfare programmes and community-based services across different sectors of society.

He urged governments at all levels to formulate and implement policies that would address contemporary mental health challenges, particularly among populations affected by violence, displacement and other humanitarian emergencies.

According to him, strengthening community resilience would require coordinated interventions that addressed both the immediate needs of affected persons and the underlying social and psychological factors that continued to expose them to distress.

Head of the Department of Psychology, University of Jos, Esor Mantu, commended the organisers for choosing Jos as the venue of the conference, describing the gathering as particularly relevant in view of the persistent insecurity and civil unrest experienced in parts of the North-Central region.

Mantu observed that communities across the region had suffered considerable psychological trauma as a result of prolonged conflicts and insecurity, stressing that professional psychological interventions were necessary to support recovery and promote peaceful coexistence.

He urged participants to engage actively in the scientific deliberations, noting that psychological research could provide valuable insights into human behaviour and contribute to conflict prevention, reconciliation and the rebuilding of affected communities.

Similarly, the Gwom Rei of Riyom, Samuel Dung Joke, said many residents of his chiefdom had been traumatised by recurring violence and insecurity, making the intervention of clinical psychologists increasingly necessary.

The traditional ruler explained that some affected residents had lost virtually all their possessions as a result of recurring civil unrest, a situation he said had further compounded their psychological and socio-economic difficulties.

He stressed the importance of sustained professional support for victims, particularly those struggling to recover from the combined effects of bereavement, displacement and loss of livelihoods.

The conference brought together clinical psychologists, researchers, humanitarian professionals and other stakeholders to examine how scientific research and professional practice could be harnessed to strengthen psychological support and build resilient communities in humanitarian settings.