DFWI marks World Mental Health Day with sensitisation walk in Kaduna

The DEPOWA Families Wellness Initiative (DFWI), Kaduna Centre, on Saturday, 10 October 2026, commemorated World Mental Health Day with a sensitisation and publicity walk within the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Barracks, Kaduna, aimed at promoting mental-health awareness, encouraging early help-seeking and reducing stigma.

The activity, coordinated by the Head of the DFWI Kaduna Centre, also provided an opportunity to create greater awareness of the Initiative and the wellness and psychosocial support services available to personnel and families of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Force.

During the walk, DFWI staff carried a commemorative banner and distributed flyers and leaflets containing mental-health awareness messages and information on the Initiative. The exercise promoted the messages "Listen. Support. Connect." and "Strong Minds, Brighter Families", highlighting the importance of compassionate listening, timely support and access to appropriate care without stigma.

The commemoration was held in line with the 2026 World Mental Health Day theme, "Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change", which draws attention to the importance of listening to people with lived experiences and ensuring that their perspectives contribute meaningfully to mental-health support and interventions.

The exercise also highlighted DFWI's preventive wellness and early-intervention approach, which focuses on promoting mental wellbeing, strengthening family resilience, identifying emerging concerns and connecting individuals and families to appropriate professional support where required.

The activity reflects the vision of the President, Defence and Police Officers' Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Mernan Femi Oluyede, to strengthen support systems for military and police families and foster an environment in which seeking help is recognised as a positive and responsible step towards wellbeing.

The DFWI Kaduna Centre is the pilot phase of the DEPOWA-led Initiative. It is implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Officers' Wives Association (NAOWA) and hosted at the Nigerian Army Wellness Centre, 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.

Through the commemoration, DFWI reaffirmed its commitment to promoting accessible, confidential and family-centred wellness support and building stronger, healthier and more resilient military and police families.