NAN-HG-11
Girls
By Esenvosa Izah
Lagos, Dec. 20, 2016 (NAN) A Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, says psychological and emotional investment in teenage girls will help them develop self-confidence and contribute positively to the society.
Owoeye, who is the Head, Clinical Services, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
He said that adolescent girls generally, faced a lot of crisis, therefore, efforts should be made to guide them properly in order for them to navigate successfully through that stage of life.
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“Investing in them should be in several dimensions: psychologically, there is need to invest in them.
“Emotionally, there is need to bring up these children in the way that they will have self-confidence.
“It will be difficult for anybody to lure them into any vices like cultism or any form of ills in the society.
“Also, in the area of meeting their social needs, because when their needs are not adequately taken care of, they look outside for succour, for support.
“So, there is need for us to also look in their social needs in making them look good to boost their morale and self-confidence, in investing in their education in protecting them against violence.
“All these must be adequately taken care of; when their education is well structured and well taken care of, they will come out well.
“These are some of the things we can do to really help these teenage girls, so as not to really have problem with them later in life.’’
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The consultant said that many young girls were now getting involved in drug abuse.
According to him, this can be due to girls who come from dysfunctional families, like those born out of wedlock, and those whose parents are divorced.
“All these tend to go out to look for support from outsiders and as a result, they may run into crisis later in life,’’ he said.
Another Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Mashudat Bello-Mojeed, said that empowering teenage girls through education would enable them to know their rights.
Bello-Mojeed, who consults majorly in child and adolescent psychiatry, said that educating a teenage girl would bring better development to the community or the nation.
“If a girl is educated, it brings better impact and good development in the family, and if the family is well developed, it means that the nation will be a better place to live in.
“So, it is highly important to ensure that they have good education, at least, minimum of secondary education,“ she said. (NAN)
EEI/GOK/LAB/YEE
Edited by Olagoke Olatoye/Lydia Beshel/Emmanuel Yashim
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