Wakaso, Media Aide To Niger Gov, Offers Women Practical Tools To Tackle Mental Health Struggles.

By Aliyu Lawal

On the occasion of the 2026 World Mental Health Awareness Day, Dr Aisha Wakaso, Special Adviser on Print Media to the Niger State Governor and founder of the Kings Initiative, gathered women for a candid session aimed at turning personal pain into shared solutions to address the problem ọf mental health challenges across the state.

The veteran Journalist and mental health advocate explained that her decision to organise the programme stemmed directly from her own mental health experiences and the steady stream of messages she receives daily from women describing similar economic, psychological and physical pressures.

According to her rather than leaving those conversations private, she decided to hold the fitness gathering to create a space to discuss coping mechanisms openly while commemorating the global mental health awareness day.

In hee remarks at thẹ occasion, Aisha Wakaso confronted the isolation many feel. “Most times when i look at all of you, i notice that you are afraid, you don’t want to be judged and you dont want to fail but failure is part of growth", she said, stressing that she had stood at the edge of suicide three times and each time deliberately chose life, not a diminished version of it, but one defined by courage.

“Nobody, no situation is worthy of taking your life,” she insisted, asking participants to consider the future roles they would never fulfil if they gave up: mother, advocate, survivor, as her message centred on actionable steps rather than abstract encouragement.

She urged women to set clear boundaries around their emotions and decisions, to stop allowing external voices to define their worth, and to treat exercise and spiritual practice as daily anchors, nothing that morning walks that end in prayer, she said, have repeatedly restored her spirit, “Be a lion,” she told the gatherin, “Choose peace. Choose happiness.”.

By combining personal testimony with concrete tools, boundaries, movement, spiritual grounding and mutual support, Wakaso continues to position practical solutions within reach of those who need them most.

The programme had two exercise sessions taken by three acrobatic instructors, a mental health talk session, dancing sessions and networking. It was held at the Bahago Sports Complex in Minna and had 200 women from all walks of life in attendance.