Mental health problems, suicide, and drug abuse are on the rise globally and in Nigeria, where an estimated 1 in 4 people—about 50 million Nigerians—are at risk during their lifetime. This means almost every family is affected. Yet ignorance, shame, stigma, and misunderstanding still surround mental ill-health, leaving many without quality care. Too often, people are hidden away, chained, or taken to places where they suffer physical, emotional, or even sexual abuse. There should be no shame or stigma in mental disorders, just as there is none in having a fracture or hypertension.
In addition to the general state of mental health in Nigeria, Asido Foundation is also particularly passionate about youth mental health, recognizing that young people face unique pressures that can significantly impact their future. Part of our vision also includes a society where every young person—no matter their age, gender, socio-economic status, religion, or ethnicity—has the chance to enjoy optimal mental health and live with hope, strength, and dignity.
The Jemila Abubakar Memorial Essay (JAME) competition is one of our interventions that helps us plug the gaps we have seen with youth mental health. It is an essay competition centered on a topical mental health issue, organized annually for undergraduate students of Nigerian tertiary institutions. The essay holds in memory of Miss Jemila Abubakar, the organization’s pioneer program manager, who passed away in July 2020 after a brief illness.
Ms Jemila lived an exemplary life of service to humanity, having suffered a tragic accident during her NYSC year, which subsequently confined her to a wheelchair. But she was a very positive, optimistic personality with an ever-constant smile on her face always. She was selfless in her service to others and was deeply passionate about empathy and promoting mental health awareness in our society. She channeled her inner pain and traumatic experience into inspiration to help others who may be similarly going through pain and trauma. This ability to transcend her challenges and give freely of herself to others is a critical reason why she has been immortalized via the JAME competition to inspire students across the country.
The competition supports one of the core values of the Asido Foundation, Youth Mental Health, and is intended to improve Nigerian youths’ mental health awareness and knowledge, as well as empower them to become mental health advocates via a year-long mentorship program for the top fifteen winners.
Since its inception in 2020, about two thousand five hundred (2500) entries have been received from various tertiary institutions across all thirty-six (36) Nigerian states, and winners awarded cash prizes. All winners are presented with award plaques and selected for a mental health fellowship. Specifically, the overall winner receives an award of ₦200,000, the second position, ₦150,000 and the third position, ₦100,000 only.
