Scholarship / Nigeria and Doctors - CAREER GOALS; CHEVENING [2]

According to the Nigerian Medical Association,the doctor patient ratio stands at an alarming rate of of 1:9083 leading to significant number of population not able to achieve the good health and well being, among the sustainable development goals by UN. With an various forms of insecurity, terrorism and flooding , the Northwestern region is going to face severe humanitarian crises and mental health illness.
Upon my return from the UK, my immediate goal is to leverage the knowledge and skills I've acquired to significantly improve the public health landscape in Northwestern Nigeria

Thou Nigeria being the most populous country in Africa has achieved remarkable progress in the health sector with giant successes to meet the challenges of Ebola virus, COVID-19 and other epidemics through strengthened leadership, policies and legislation. However Mental health has been a neglected Public health issue.
The prevalence of mental health issues that affect individuals' physical and social well-being makes mental health a public health issue integral to achieving community health goals
WHO says one in four Nigerians, an average of 50 million people, is suffering from mental illnesses
According to WFMH, between 75-95 per cent of people with mental disorders in low and middle-income countries such as Nigeria are unable to access mental health services at all.
Nigeria is also currently under multiple public health challenges as many other countries around the globe, such as health and social workers' burnout, suicidal episodes, communal violence, terrorism and insecurity that can lead to mental health issues particularly in the Northwestern region where I come from.
Upon completing my master's degree in the UK, my immediate goal is to leverage the knowledge and skills I've acquired to significantly improve the public health landscape in Nigeria starting locally from the Northwestern region with a special interest in mental health .
My short term goals would be to join already established NGOs in the country like NEEM, MANI, iAfrica establishing their niche in the northwestern region.
Similarly to ensure public awareness and education going deep into the grass root rural areas including IDPs camps that have limited access to public addressing system to make them well informed and to change their perception and reduce the stigmata surrounding mental health.These awareness campaigns and public education would be targeted on victims of banditry and terrorism, military and law enforcement officers, prisoners healthcare personnel , and minority groups like the IDPs and social deviants, drug addicts and drug abusers, children/adolescent and student.

In the mid term my goal would be to ensure Human resource training and Capacity development. There are only about 300 Psychiatrist to carter for 200 millions Nigerians creating a huge burden as such other paramedics especially in Primary health care including Nurses, Community extension workers need to be trained in order to identify a patient with mental health disorders and those at risk.
I will collaborate with other NGOs and Medical students associations like NIMSA to do sensitization rally and awareness campaign. In the same spirit to also conduct a day workshop for Nurses Community health extension workers CHEW on the common mental health illness, alarming sign to look out for in suicide and other mental health care skills.
Looking ahead, my three-year goal is to contribute to the establishment of a specialized Mental health clinical care center, a project that has been in the pipeline but remains unrealized due to a shortage of professionals with the necessary expertise. Also I want to Leverage the impact of social media to establish digital healthcare which will go a long way towards access to mental health services in Nigeria and augmenting the efforts of the clinical care centre.

Writing Feedback / Leadership is about finding a vacuum and mounting the courage to fill that space. - CHEVENING [4]

In our contemporary Society being a first Born son automatically places a crown leadership on you as your siblings looked up to you and parents need you to become a pillar they can rely on to carry their name.However my leadership journey became more pronounce as I travel some hundreds of kilometer after finishing my Higher education in an effort to pursue my college at the prestigious University Ahmadu Bello University Zaria ,one of the best in the country and the best in Northern Nigeria, a move that was aberrant to people from our own part of the country.

Starting my first year in the college I was enfatuated with the serene environment ,the multicultural people and robust intellectual academia and I wished my people back home can have opportunity to partake in this celestial academia.

I immediately joined Leadership as the first Senator representing Kebbi medial students association and later form a coalition with the little members of the state in other Medical fields of Veterinary, Pharmacy and Nursing to represent them in my second year returning as a senator, for which I received an award of excellence for that year.

Using connections obtained from the networking obtained being a senator involving other allied health courses and other courses in general . I facilitated a career guidance to Secondary School students from university Students in other fields of Pharmacy,Nursing, Law and through that guidance we are able to a number of them Choosing our Alma mata and about 5 got admission into various courses of their choice.With two currently studying Medicine in his 5th year whom I continue to mentor till today.
I was also among the Pioneers responsible for the amalgamation of three sister state association of Medical Students from Kebbi my dear State, Zamfara and Sokoto to form what is called SOKEZAMSA Sokoto kebbi Zamfara Medical Students Association. I served in multiple capacities from being the Secretary General to Vice President for 2 years and Eventually the President of which I enjoyed Awards of recognition for being a Pioneer, award Of excellence.

My most Challenging part was when I was I was the Vice-president and was tasked to conduct the first ever Sendfortht Graduation dinner for the first set of the SOKEZAMSA.
The main challenge was selecting the right people to form the committee that are as motivated to see the job done.Then there was the issue of sourcing for funds as the association is just in its baby steps and has not save much. Had to use my influence from the previous Alumni and other stakeholders outside to source for funds, however the amount was still not enough we had to sacrifice from our Pockets to ensure the success of the occasion.
Getting a time to meet with the committee was an issue as it was a period of exams everyone was busy and finding the time all members of the committee are free once a week was a difficult, So we had to employ virtual meetings via Whats-app at the time.
Thou exhausting and enormously challenging the event was a success and I learned that you have to learn to delegates Jobs to people and follow up.