NILEE CONSULT, through its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, is intensifying efforts to promote mental health awareness among young people, following an educational session held at Odorgonno Senior High School in collaboration with Thriving Network, a mental health-focused non-governmental organisation.
The initiative, launched under the NILEE Impact Initiative after the consultancy marked its fifth anniversary in April 2026, seeks to encourage open conversations about mental health and help young people recognise when they need support.
The programme forms part of the company’s broader commitment to mental health education, following an earlier visit to Pantang Mental Hospital, where the team sought to demonstrate care and respect for people experiencing mental health challenges.
Speaking after the Odorgonno SHS engagement, NILEE CONSULT Chief Executive Officer Amanda Akushie said the experience at Pantang had prompted the company to consider how communities could intervene before people’s difficulties became overwhelming.
She explained that the initiative was designed to promote awareness and encourage people to seek help early rather than wait until their circumstances become more difficult.
She asked; Why do we have to wait as a community, or as individuals, until people get to that stage where it’s so difficult and nobody is listening to them?
According to her, the school-based programme was intended to reassure students that struggling emotionally is a normal part of life and that asking for help should never be interpreted as a sign of weakness.
She noted that students face several pressures, including academic demands, anxiety, low self-esteem and the influence of social media, all of which can affect their mental well-being.
The session was organised in partnership with THRIVING NETWORK, whose founder and executive director, Anthonia Tony-Dibie, said the engagement had highlighted the importance of giving young people safe spaces to discuss their concerns.
She observed that some students struggle to identify what they are experiencing or whom they can approach for assistance, while others mistakenly believe that speaking up makes them appear weak.
She said; Today, we taught them that speaking up or speaking to someone or seeking help isn’t weakness, but strength.
Antonia also welcomed the collaboration, describing partnerships as essential to extending mental health education to more people. She said the response from the school’s leadership had encouraged her, adding that the headmistress had expressed interest in having the organisations return for further engagements.
During the session, facilitator Daniel educated students on the differences between emotional distress and mental health conditions, stressing that mental health is a concern for everyone, not only people diagnosed with mental illnesses.
He explained that emotional distress may involve difficult feelings such as sadness, worry, anger and stress, while a mental health condition can affect a person’s thoughts, feelings, behaviour and ability to function.
Students were encouraged to pay attention to changes in their own behaviour and that of their friends, including withdrawal from social activities, persistent changes in sleeping or eating habits, difficulty concentrating, hopelessness and unusual changes in mood.
Daniel cautioned, however, that experiencing one of these signs does not automatically mean someone has a mental health condition. Rather, such changes may indicate that the person needs support from a trusted adult or an appropriate professional.
He used a classroom scenario involving a student who had become unusually quiet, stopped playing football, slept poorly and expressed feelings of exhaustion to demonstrate how friends could respond to someone who might be struggling.
He advised students to approach friends privately, listen without judgement, respect their confidence and recommend professional support where necessary.
The facilitator also warned against gossiping about personal struggles or making fun of people who display signs of emotional distress. He urged students to show empathy instead of exposing their peers to further embarrassment.
The programme also introduced practical strategies students could use when dealing with stress, anxiety, low mood and self-esteem challenges.
These included taking slow, controlled breaths to relax, breaking overwhelming tasks into smaller and more manageable steps, maintaining healthy eating and sleeping habits, speaking to trusted people and establishing boundaries in relationships, including on social media.
Daniel further advised students against relying on alcohol, drugs or other harmful behaviours to cope with difficult emotions, explaining that these approaches do not resolve the underlying problems.
He encouraged the students to practise self-compassion, particularly when dealing with disappointment or rejection, and reminded them that poor academic results do not define their worth or determine their future.
Antonia reinforced the message by urging students to stop excessive teasing and intimidation, noting that seemingly harmless jokes could have serious emotional consequences for others.
She encouraged them to approach struggling friends with kindness and to take mental health seriously, adding that the habits and attitudes they develop while young can influence their relationships and decisions later in life.
Through the NILEE Impact Initiative, the company aims to encourage early conversations about mental health, challenge stigma and help young people understand that seeking support is a positive step towards well-being.
