The Federal Government has raised fresh concerns over the psychological impact of prolonged conflict on Nigerian children, warning that insecurity has left many young people struggling with serious mental-health challenges.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, disclosed the figures during a National Policy Dialogue on the Psychosocial Impact of Conflicts on Children in Nigeria held in Borno State.
According to figures presented by the minister, 41.5 per cent of children exposed to the Boko Haram insurgency in Chibok met the clinical threshold for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A separate national study cited by the government found PTSD among 79.7 per cent of displaced Nigerian children, while 84.8 per cent were reported to have symptoms of depression and 90.7 per cent experienced functional impairment.
Doro said the statistics demonstrated the need for mental-health interventions to become a more central part of Nigeria’s humanitarian response.
He warned that children exposed to conflict could carry the psychological effects of violence long after they have been removed from dangerous environments.
The Federal Government said it was working towards strengthening psychosocial support for children affected by terrorism, displacement and other forms of violence.
The minister also emphasised the need for cooperation between government agencies, humanitarian organisations, communities and mental-health professionals.
Borno remains one of the states most affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, which has displaced millions of people and disrupted education, healthcare and livelihoods over the years.
Experts have increasingly called for humanitarian programmes to address not only the physical consequences of conflict but also the psychological needs of affected children.
The government said the policy dialogue would contribute to developing stronger mechanisms for identifying and treating children suffering from trauma.