A bill to compel road transport workers nationwide to undergo periodic drug tests is awaiting President Bola Tinubu's assent.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja during the third annual conversation conference on mental health awareness day, the MD/ CEO of Intersect Consortium, Dr Vincent Udeze, said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, had set up a committee that thoroughly worked on the bill, after which it was sent for assent.
He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) ,s theme this year, "Mental health in the workplace," resonates because the importance of mental health in a workplace cannot be over-emphasised.
"Evidence suggests that one in four people will experience mental health challenges in their lifetime. If there are 300 people in this event, 75 of us will experience mental health challenges in our lifetime.
"There's no way of describing physically what people are facing, feeling emotionally, so a lot of times, workers report it as malaria."
Udeze, who is a consultant psychiatrist, said that mental health losses are about N1 trillion in developed economies, given the impact.
"Evidence shows that if you look into the mental health of a staff, there will be tremendous job satisfaction, morale will be high, and they will be more productive," he concluded.
Earlier, the chairman of the occasion, the chief executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), stated that substance abuse in Nigeria had assumed a fresh dimension despite measures put in place by the government in line with international convention to counter drug use among Nigerian youths.
He noted that drug use is prevalent irrespective of the divide, gender, ethnic or economic status and that one out of four drug users in Nigeria is a woman.
"The need for drug testing policies in our workplaces cannot be overemphasised. Workplace policies, industries, transportation, and healthcare, especially those governed by safety regulations, are required by law to have drug-free workplaces.
So it is essential to implement drug testing policies in these workplaces. Random drug testing of personnel will ensure early detection of drug use in workplaces.
The NDLEA CEO said mental health affects everyone irrespective of biological disposition and identity and promotes a culture of inclusivity and support.
Also, in his remarks, the Minister of State, Youth and Development, Engr Ayodele Olawande, said that the mental intelligence of a majority of Nigerians has been touched. Still, with engagement, it can be re-engineered.
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He said, It's time to put more energy into challenging our people, and I'm challenging myself to focus more on the mental health of our young people."
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, said the federal government was implementing modalities to support the well-being and health of government workers.
He said it is imperative to collaborate to develop policies that support mental health initiatives, improve access to services and ensure that every humanitarian worker in government is well supported to carry out their responsibilities.
