The Presidential Committee on North East Initiative, PCNI and NEEM Institute have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create, publish and distribute a framework for mental health and psychological service delivery in North East Nigeria.
The Institute is to also build capacities of staff in first line response institutions and staff of other strategic social institutions in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
The Vice Chairman, PCNI, Tijani Musa Tumsah, stated that the target beneficiaries include Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), Teachers and Social Welfare officers.
According to him: “The partnership with NEEM is to ensure the rehabilitation and mental health of those affected by insurgency in the North-East.”
He noted that: “There is no doubt that the citizens of the North-East region, particularly the frontline states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe state have continued to suffer various levels of trauma, requiring urgent and sustained attention as they resume their lives.
“In delivering its mandate, the PCNI recognises the importance of psycho-social service as part of the recovery effort and as a response to the ongoing crisis in the North-East region of Nigeria.”
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer, NEEM Institute, Dr. Fatima Akilu, disclosed that the parties were taking the partnership seriously.
She added that: “We felt that in this partnership, we could provide much more broader approach to how service provision should be delivered as far as mental health is in the country.”
She said the MoU signed, is to focus on rehabilitation, trauma support and peace building in Nigeria.
