Ecobank Day: Stop discrimination against victims of mental health disorder – Akinwuntan -GCFRNG
Ecobank Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to promoting mental awareness among its staff, customers and the communities where it operates as part of its corporate action to support the general well-being among citizens.
This, according to the bank, is necessary in view of the enormous stress people face when trying to play their role in sustaining the national economy.
The Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Akinwuntan, while speaking at the 2021 “Ecobank Day” event in Lagos, stated that there was a need for people to exercise more sensitivity and provide more support to improve mental health.
According to him, “This year, we are focusing on how we can support each other to improve our mental health. It’s something we should be open to talking about; it is something that we should be able to share our concerns so that each of us can be sensitive to how we support each other and manage the stress available in our environment.
“So this year, we focused on mental health, educating people on how to identify and manage illness, while helping reduce stigma and discrimination. We all know that Nigeria is a country with about 200 million people, and we are all under a lot of stress.
“At Ecobank, we encourage staff to speak by word of mouth, written communication, WhatsApp, SMS message, even if it is an anonymous call to help the victims. We also try to identify things in the environment that could have a negative effect on our journey to better mental health and eliminate them quickly. “
On her side, Commercial Bank, Ecobank Nigeria CEO Carol Oyedeji urged colleagues to find a way to balance work with other aspects of her life. “Please, when you close work, turn off your system and find ways to connect with your spouse, family, and whatever else brings you joy and happiness.”
She pointed out that we should encourage people to feel comfortable talking about their emotions, without shame, fear of being judged or abused. She stressed that anyone who suffers from or faces mental health problems should know that she can get help.
Experts at the event listed signs to watch out for in mental health to include; negative view of oneself, feeling lonely, giving things away and frequent conversations about death. They noted that mental health disorders are one of the most common noncommunicable diseases, noting that mental health problems can happen to anyone and that it is important to talk about it and also act on it.
Ecobank Day is the flagship annual corporate and social responsibility event of a group that “gives back” to local communities across the Pan-African footprint. Ecobank Day 2021 had the theme “Mental Health: It’s time to speak up and act!” It marks the final stage of Ecobank’s three-year campaign to raise awareness and help prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Ecobank Day started in 2013, focusing each year on a specific theme. These have been Youth Education in Africa (2013); Prevention and control of malaria (2014); All African Children Deserve a Better Future (2015); ICT education in schools and improving maternal health (2016); Safe water management (2017); Orphanages (2018); Cancer (2019); and Diabetes (2020).
Read More
Ecobank Day: Stop discrimination against victims of mental health disorder – Akinwuntan -GCFRNG