IN COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH 2026, LASTMA, IN COLLABORATION WITH PROFESSOR AKINDOTUN MEIRO, FOUNDER OF ATCA, HOSTS TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE WORKSHOP FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICERS IN OSHODI

IN COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH 2026, LASTMA, IN COLLABORATION WITH PROFESSOR AKINDOTUN MEIRO, FOUNDER OF ATCA, HOSTS TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE WORKSHOP FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICERS IN OSHODI

As part of activities marking the 2026 International Mental Health Awareness Month, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in strategic partnership with Professor Akindotun Meiro, Founder of the African Trauma Care Alliance (ATCA) organised a two-day Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Principal Officers at the LASTMA Training Institute, Oshodi.

The highly impactful workshop, themed “Restoring Minds and Building Trauma-Informed Communities,” was specifically designed to enhance participants’ understanding of traumatic stress, emotional intelligence, psychological wellness and the urgent necessity of fostering compassionate, emotionally responsive and trauma-sensitive institutions and communities.

In his welcome remarks, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki emphasised the growing importance of mental health consciousness and emotional well-being, particularly among public officers operating within strenuous, emotionally demanding and high-risk environments.

He noted that personnel of the Agency are frequently confronted with psychologically challenging experiences, including fatal road traffic accidents, confrontations with aggressive motorists, environmental hazards and emergency rescue operations, thereby underscoring the imperative for sustained trauma-informed interventions and professional psychological support systems.

According to the General Manager, the workshop represents a deliberate investment in human capital development aimed at equipping officers with emotional resilience, adaptive coping strategies and empathetic leadership capabilities required for efficient service delivery and improved workplace productivity.

Mr. Bakare-Oki further commended Professor Akindotun Meiro, mental health experts and advocacy organisations for championing a timely and transformative initiative capable of strengthening institutional resilience while promoting healthier interpersonal relationships within society.

Delivering her lecture during the workshop, the President of the Jars Traumatic Stress Institute and Founder of the African Trauma Care Alliance (ATCA), Professor Akindotun Meiro disclosed that approximately one out of every three individuals globally experiences a mental health condition during their lifetime, with trauma identified as one of the most significant contributing factors.

She explained that traumatic experiences occasioned by economic hardship, political instability, communal crises, gender-based violence, kidnapping, domestic abuse, armed conflicts and other societal disruptions continue to inflict profound psychological and emotional wounds on millions of people across the world.

The workshop also critically examined the devastating consequences of untreated trauma, stressing that beyond emotional and psychological distress, traumatic stress substantially contributes to chronic medical conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disorders and prolonged emotional dysfunction capable of negatively affecting societal harmony and productivity.

Participants were equally enlightened on the intricate nexus between emotional wellness and physical health, as facilitators emphasised the urgent need for accessible, inclusive and quality mental healthcare services within workplaces and communities.

Professor Akindotun Meiro further reiterated that the annual Traumatic Stress Awareness Walk, championed by the Jars Education Group in collaboration with the African Trauma Care Alliance and other international partners, has evolved into a global advocacy movement promoting mental wellness and supporting trauma survivors across Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Officers at the event collectively described the initiative as a profound call to humanity, affirming that trauma remains treatable and manageable when societies intentionally create safe, supportive and healing environments that encourage empathy, dialogue and emotional restoration.

The workshop concluded with renewed appeals to governments, organisations, healthcare professionals, educators and community leaders to intensify advocacy for mental health awareness initiatives aimed at dismantling societal stigma, promoting emotional recovery and restoring hope to individuals affected by traumatic stress.

Adebayo Taofiq

Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA