As part of efforts to draw attention to the often-overlooked mental health challenges confronting men, the Peace, Progress and Unity Global Initiative (PPUGI) on Saturday organised a Men\u2019s Mental Health Awareness Walk 2026 in Lagos, urging men to prioritise their wellbeing and speak out about their struggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The awareness walk, themed \u201cProviding Direction and Support \u2014 Breaking the Silence,\u201d commenced from the Secretariat of Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and ended at Allen Avenue Junction, Ikeja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Founder and Director of PPUGI and Farida Charity Foundation, Ambassador (Dr.) Farida Ahmed, said the initiative was aimed at challenging the societal expectation that men must always appear strong, even when battling emotional and psychological difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ahmed, who described herself as a West African ECOWAS Youth Ambassador and Global Peace Ambassador, said the organisation had been advocating men\u2019s mental health awareness for seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to her, the campaign was necessary because many men silently carry the burden of providing for their families and meeting societal expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy men? It is men because a woman who succeeds in whatever she does is a woman who has a man who supports her in whatever she does,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is my duty as a woman to support the mental wellbeing of every man around me and across the globe because you matter, you are important, and there is much more to you than you can ever imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ahmed urged men to reject the stereotype that seeking help or showing emotions was a sign of weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is okay to feel. It is okay to cry. We need to beat the stereotype of saying that you should \u2018man up\u2019. This is not the time to \u2018man up\u2019 anymore. You are first human before being a man,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She advised men to recognise their limitations, manage stress and avoid putting themselves under unnecessary pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou are not less of a man because you cannot meet up with demands. Take it one step at a time. If you need to pause, you have to pause,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Veteran music director, vocal coach and television personality, Benneth Ogbeiwi, popularly known as Uncle Ben, commended PPUGI for recognising the sacrifices made by men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor the fact that PPUGI recognises us for who we are, it is enough to thank them and all the women who came to support the initiative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ogbeiwi urged men facing difficulties to speak to trusted people rather than suffer in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want the men to speak out. You need to speak to someone. It\u2019s okay to shy away, but you need to trust someone,\u201d he said, adding that those unable to confide in others could seek solace through prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs Anuoluwapo Aluki also urged both men and women to pay greater attention to their mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNobody should die in silence. Speaking out is the best option,\u201d she said. \u201cAll men have been trying their best, but they should take time to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alhaji Mohammed Sanni Aliu described the programme as an important grassroots initiative, noting that many people were facing increasing pressures because of the economic situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople are going through a lot, and until you voice out, there is no way somebody would know what you are going through,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The speakers collectively called for greater understanding, support and encouragement for men, stressing that mental wellbeing should be treated as an important part of healthy living.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As part of efforts to draw attention to the often-overlooked mental health challenges confronting men, the Peace, Progress and Unity Global Initiative (PPUGI) on Saturday organised a Men\u2019s Mental Health Awareness Walk 2026 in Lagos, urging men to prioritise their wellbeing and speak out about their struggles. The awareness walk, themed \u201cProviding Direction and Support…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t