Ambassador and Coordinator for International Men’s Day, Nigeria, Mr. Sanmi Falobi has enjoined stakeholders to use the IMD scheduled for November 19, 2023 to highlight issues confronting men to mitigate suicide in the society.
The 2023 fact sheet by the World Health Organisation (WHO), showed that about 700,000 people take their own life annually, apart from many more who attempt suicide globally.
Falobi who said Zero Male Suicide is the 2023 IMD theme urged stakeholders to celebrate men and their contribution to workplace, their families and the society.
“We want to encourage institutions, organisations, and individuals to use the November 19 International Mens Day commemorative day to initiate activities that address men’s issues with a view of mitigating male suicide and creating an enabling environment for men to cope with the different challenges they face across board”.
“This engagement also means ensuring there is a shared understanding of the need for intervention, open discourse, reduction of family, social & work-related pressures and counselling/mediation where necessary. The foregoing is imperative as a supportive environment is essential for the nurturing and development of men who are emotionally stable, healthy and resilient, he added.
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According to Falobi, “Bearing in mind the peculiarities of the Nigeria context and the enormous challenges that the Nigerian men are burdened with, it is imperative to build understanding around the issues that men face in order to mitigate suicidal tendencies in men”, he said.
Falobi pointed out that IMD therefore provides the opportunity for corporate organisations, government institutions, businesses, religious bodies, public/private sector enterprises, NGOs and the media, to initiate clusters of independent activities at highlighting the positive values of men to their families, communities and the society at large, in relation to the context of their careers, families, health & mental wellness.”
The IMD coordinating team called on those in management and leadership positions to catch in on the uniqueness of the International Mens Day to celebrate and highlight the values of men within the structure of their work place, especially in line with values that promote mental wellness and adapting to emerging challenges so as to forestall depressive and emotional tendencies that may lead to suicidal tendencies.
Expounding on the imperatives of the mens day initiatives, Falobi notes further:
“IMD is not only an opportunity to celebrate and appreciate MEN that make things happen; but also to motivate/encourage MEN, to make things happen, for a safe, better and saner society, while ensuring that suicidal tendencies in men are mitigated.
“Hence, as part of a series of activities to commemorate the Day, the Nigeria IMD coordinating team shall be hosting a pre-event ZOOM discourse to share perspectives around the topic, MITIGATING DEPRESSION & SUICIDAL TENDENCIES THAT MEN FACE on Friday November 17, 2023 by 4PM Nigeria (WAT) featuring experience-sharing discourse around issues affecting men”, he noted.
The session, which shall feature robust discourse by a team of panelists including Dr Teelucksingh, IMD founder, shall be on Zoom Meeting ID: 839 3039 3700 with the Passcode: 804807.