The Lagos State government has taken steps to increase investments, including raising mental health awareness to increase artisans and tradesmen understanding to boost entrepreneurship, DANIEL ESSIET reports

The research, inaugurated for Mental Health Awareness Week by Ironmongery Direct, the United Kingdom’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery, has announced its findings: One in two tradespeople experience mental ill health due to their job.

Worryingly, according to the study, almost half of UK tradespeople (49 percent) say they’ve experienced some form of mental health problem due to work, such as stress, anxiety or depression. Many of these individuals deal with such issues regularly, with over a quarter (28 per cent) experiencing mental health issues daily and nearly three in five (58 percent) reporting symptoms weekly.

To raise awareness on mental health among tradespeople, the Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, held a workshop for tradesmen and artisans.

The Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke, noted that the government was not resting on its oars in ensuring the relevance of artisans and tradesmen in the state.

She said: “Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu recognises how valuable welfare and happiness has resultant effect on creativity and productivity in both personal and work lives. Hence the Lagos State Employee Wellness Centre was established to support employees with both professional and personal concerns; this we have now extended to tradesmen and artisans.

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“Available records revealed that mental illness comes in various types, ranging from depression, anxiety disorder, mood disorder, psychosis, eating disorders and lots more, with many underlying causes that may not be easily identified which impacts one’s mental wellness and within the informal sector, if people are not mentally sound, it will affect their profession.”

According to her, tradesmen were not willing to open up about their mental health and ask for support. This, she noted, could become problematic because mental health problems often become worse if left untreated, and the consequences can be fatal.

She restated the commitment of the Sanwo-Olu-led administration to the provision of social support infrastructure towards ensuring the emotional stability of artisans and tradesmen.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Kafayat Ajenifuja, called for more support for tradespeople who experience poorer levels of mental health.

Skilled trades, according to her, face   mental health risk and that health support is one of the most important tools a tradesperson can have. She noted that the Ministry held the Mental Health Awareness programme to highlight the need to address  poor mental health across the sector, urging tradesmen to explore the forum to speak about their mental health.