The Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenoP) have emphasised the need for corporate organisations to prioritise mental health plans in their workplaces.
PenoP made the call over the weekend during a webinar it organised titled “Mental Health, Managing Stress and Depression” to educate professionals within the pension industry on leveraging mental health for lasting change.
The Association stressed the crucial role of mental health in overall wellbeing, highlighting the fact that good health encompasses physical, mental, social, spiritual, and financial aspects, going beyond the mere absence of diseases or infirmity.
Oguche Agudah, the Chief Executive Officer of PenOp, “Emphasized the need for managers and business leaders to always look out for the total wellbeing of their subordinates and employees.
He said, “The overall aim of the session was to equip pension professionals with the knowledge and tools to manage stress and achieve a healthy work-life balance”.
Agudah added that the webinar was the start of its quarterly wellness sessions, focusing on providing staff within the pension industry with tools and knowledge to live a balanced life.
Also speaking, Dr. Gbenga Adebayo, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Living Health International, a renowned Health and Wellness Solutions Company in Nigeria, said organizations and individuals should start developing wellness and resilience plans to safeguard mental health.
He said, there was a need to stop the stigma of mental health, adding that “social support, prevention strategies, and effective coping skills were essential tools for building strength, managing time, and living a stress-free life”.
He added that “The ABC (Awareness, Balance, and Control) approaches to mental wellbeing was important for any worker to understand his or her strengths and weaknesses to strike a balance and gain control over life circumstances”.
Adebayo further urged organisations to “create a safe space within organizations for individuals to openly discuss their mental state and stress as a crucial step towards supporting employees’ mental health”.
