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- Hello 2026
Hello 2026
The Year MANI Turns 10.
Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative
January 19, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Ten years of conversations that mattered. Ten years of showing up, listening deeply, and choosing compassion even when it wasn’t easy. As we step into our decade year, we’re celebrating how far we’ve come while gearing up for an even bolder, more impactful chapter ahead.
From moments of learning to spaces of honest dialogue, the past months reminded us that mental health advocacy is not just about milestones, but about consistency, courage, and community.
Before we hit play on everything ahead, let’s do a quick look back at the conversations, courage, and community that defined 2025 at MANI.
Highlight of 2025 |
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New Faces, New Energy We said goodbye to our amazing Clinical Psychologist, Oluwatomilayo Awodoyin, and Assistant Psychologist, Aisha Adelore, as they stepped into exciting new chapters. And then… we welcomed Oluwatobiloba Shanu, our Admin officer, Adedayo Daniel, our social media officer, Faith Hussein, our Program Officer and Kehinde Bankole, our Assistant Psychologist. They came in with passion, purpose, vibes, ideas, and momentum. Safe to say the magic has been magicking | The Quiet SuperHeroes: Not everyone wears a mic or posts content; some show up by listening. Our counselling and emergency teams handled 8,000+ cases this year, offering empathy, patience, and hope when it mattered most. We see you. We appreciate our amazing volunteers for making this happen. 💚 | Training Our MVP Volunteers : In 2025, we trained smarter, deeper, and kinder. Volunteers explored topics like: 1. Emotional abuse & healthy boundaries 2. Grief, loss, and sleep health 3. Addiction & recovery without shame 4. Neurodivergence beyond trends. We ended the year by celebrating active volunteers with gifts, because impact deserves appreciation. A big shout-out to our Counsellor of the Year and STAN Group of the Year. |
Campus & Community Advocacy in Action Continuing on the pace, all through 2025, STAN members across UNILAG, FUTO, YABATECH, and Yakubu Gowon University (formerly known as UniAbuja) continued mental health advocacy on campuses, reaching over 4000 participants through Conversation Cafés, Curb Walk Talk, MANI Talk, school trainings, and workshops. They amplified mental health knowledge across schools and communities, collectively engaging hundreds of teachers, students, and volunteers. Outside the tertiary institution, our MANICAN members strengthened community advocacy through safe spaces, weekly peer-support activities. With 1,000+ students engaged in schools, hundreds of community participants, 20+ radio shows, and 11 thematic volunteer trainings, the numbers tell only part of the story; the real impact lies in the knowledge shared, the empathy nurtured, and the lives touched. We celebrate our incredible volunteers for their commitment, energy, and heart, and we look forward to even greater impact, more conversations, and continued advocacy in the year ahead.  | Turning Commemorations into Change Throughout 2025, MANI marked key global commemorations by turning awareness into action and conversations into impact. On World Suicide Prevention Day, the media engagement workshop themed “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” challenged journalists and creatives to embrace responsible, compassionate storytelling (link). World Mental Health Day came alive in classrooms under the theme “Breaking Stigma, Building Hope: Minds Without Barriers” (link) , aligning with the global focus on “Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.” Conversations around vulnerability and holistic wellbeing took centre stage on International Men’s Day with “Men’s Wellbeing Matters: Strength, Vulnerability & Becoming Better,” while International Women’s Day fostered intergenerational dialogue through “Bridging Generations: Mental Health Then and Now.” (link) June was particularly special as we celebrated MANI’s 9th anniversary with 9 Stories and 9 Faces, highlighting the resilience and creativity within our community. (link) Together, these commemorations reinforced MANI’s commitment to inclusive, informed, and people-centred mental health advocacy.  |
Growing Our Counselling Team With more people reaching out for help, we recruited new counsellors who are now fully integrated and already supporting lives across the country. If you would like to join our counselling team, click on this link. Join us and let’s keep providing psychosocial support to all who need it  | On Air & Online Mental Health took centre stage on:
Thousands tuned in. Conversations stayed honest. Impact stayed real. Don’t miss any this year, a lot of gems and fun are coming your way  | Tiktok’s Mental Health Education Fund: In 2025, all roads led to Joburg as MANI was a recipient of TikTok’s Mental Health Education Fund, rolled out during their first-ever Digital Well-Being Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. TikTok launched this fund as part of a $2.3 million investment to support 31 mental health organisations across 22 countries, and we were selected as part of the mental health organisation to benefit from it. This initiative is part of TikTok’s broader push to empower trusted mental health voices and spark meaningful conversations, especially among younger generations. Thank you, TikTok |
As we close the chapter on 2025, we invite you to step into the new year with an open mind, a compassionate heart, and a commitment to your mental well-being. Remember, taking care of your mental health is not a luxury; it’s essential. Whether it’s a small moment of reflection, a conversation with a friend, or reaching out for support, MANI is always here for you.
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Together, let’s embrace 2026 with resilience, curiosity, and the courage to prioritise our minds as much as we do everything else. The journey continues, and we can’t wait to walk it with you
What’s Ahead for 2026 |
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Primary Health Centre (PHC) Workers Training: Here We Go! From tertiary institutions to communities and now to Primary Health Centres. In our decade, we’re taking mental health advocacy to the very first place many people seek care. In 2026, MANI will train PHC workers in Yaba using the WHO mhGAP, strengthening early identification, support, and referrals for mental health care. Because access should start where care begins. Stay tuned, this is just the beginning. | MANI Turns 🔟🎉 2026 isn’t just another year for us; it’s our decade year. Ten years of breaking stigma. Ten years of community, courage, and conversations that changed lives. All year long, we’ll be reflecting on our journey, celebrating the people who built MANI with heart and purpose, and marking this milestone in meaningful ways. From storytelling and impact highlights to special engagements and moments of gratitude, MANI @ 10 will honour our past while boldly stepping into the future of mental health advocacy in Nigeria. This is more than a celebration; it’s a reminder that we’ve been here, we’re still here, and the work is far from done. Stay with us. The decade is just getting started | Conversation Café: Still the Heart of It All In 2026, Conversation Café is coming in louder, deeper, and more intentional. As we step into our decade, this beloved safe space will continue to bring people together for honest conversations, shared stories, and stigma-free dialogue around mental health. Expect more cafés across campuses and communities, creating room to talk, listen, heal, and remind one another that no one is alone. Ten years in, we’re still proving that one conversation can change everything. Want to be part of it? Attend a Conversation Café near you and be part of the dialogue Host or partner with us to bring Conversation Café to your campus or community Volunteer with MANI and help create safe spaces where voices are heard Because conversations don’t just happen, we create them, together. |
ItunuApp Is Coming 📱💚 In 2026, MANI is taking support a step closer to you. Introducing ItunuApp, our counselling and mental health support app designed to make help more accessible, timely, and confidential. From guided support to professional connections and trusted resources, ItunuApp brings care into the palm of your hand with top-notch privacy and data protection at its core. As we mark a decade, this launch reflects a simple but powerful belief that mental health support should be easy to reach, safe to use, and respectful of your privacy, wherever you are. This is not just an app. It is care, compassion, and connection reimagined for today’s world. |
And just like that, we’re stepping fully into 2026, MANI’s 10 Years of Showing Up.
Ten years of advocacy. Ten years of courage. Ten years of choosing people and prioritising mental wellbeing, again and again.
As this decade unfolds, we’re looking ahead to more conversations, deeper impact, and even stronger community. Whether you’ve been with us from day one or you’re just joining the journey, thank you for walking with us.
Here’s to more care, more connection, and many more conversations to come.
The next chapter starts now, and we can’t wait to build it with you 💚✨
Get Involved:
Website - https://mentallyaware.org/ Twitter - https://x.com/mentallyawareng?s=11 |