Prof. Baji of IBBUL Identifies Mental Health as an Educational Psychology Issue, not Only a Medical Matter

BY YM BINA

A University Don and Educational Psychologist of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University,  (IBBU) Lapai, Professor Mohammed Ibrahim Baji has identified mental health as an Educational Psychology issue and not solely a medical matter.

Professor Baji made this known during his presentation at the 31st Inaugural Lecture, IBBUL with the theme: Educational Psychology beyond the Classroom: Promoting Well-Being, Character Formation and National Development, held at the main campus in Lapai.

He explained that families, schools, and communities share responsibility for the psychological well-being of the young child, noting that psychological empowerment precedes economic empowerment

The University Don noted that character education is a national security strategy: the corruption, violence, and instability that threaten Nigeria are, at their root, failures of character which educational psychology can help to prevent through the building of positive characters, peace education and responsible citizenship.

The 31st Inaugural Lecturer envisaged a future in which Educational Psychology will serve not only as a discipline for understanding learning but as a catalyst for building psychologically healthy individuals, resilient families, inclusive schools, responsible communities, and a sustainable, cohesive Nigerian nation.

The Educational Psychologist in his research recommended that the Federal Government should reposition Educational Psychology as a strategic component of national development policy, since insecurity, unemployment, school dropout, examination malpractice, and declining moral values cannot be effectively addressed through economic and military interventions alone.

According to him, such efforts will cover: Integrating Comprehensive School Mental Health Programmes, Strengthening Guidance and Counselling Services Nationwide, Mainstreaming Character, Civic and Citizenship Education, Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Education, Prioritising Family-Based Educational Policies as well as Institutionalising Psychological Support within Educational Policy.

Professor Baji urged State Governments in Nigeria as the principal implementers of educational policies to Expanding Early Childhood Education, Supporting Parental Education Programmes, Improving School Guidance and Counselling Units, Promoting Inclusive and Child-Friendly Schools, Strengthening Teacher Capacity in Educational Psychology.

He recommended to the Universities in the country to shape the future of education and modernise their programmes to produce graduates capable of addressing challenges of the society through: Modernising Educational Psychology Curricula, Increasing Research Funding for Mental Health and School Psychology, Strengthening Postgraduate Training and Research Capacity in Educational Psychology, Establishing University-Based Psychological Support Services and Promoting Community Engagement and Evidence-Based Policy.

Baji’s research work has proffers solutions through educational psychology  that should go beyond classroom to achieve stability, peace, develop confidence, security, good moral, formation of positive character; insisting that citizens needed psychological wellbeing to make them productive in their  employment for societal development.

In his address, the University Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Suleiman praised the Inaugural Lecturer for the status to celebrate scholarship, intellectual distinction and the enduring power of knowledge that transform lives and advanced society.

He declared that  Professor Mohammed Ibrahim Baji’s lecture presentation will deepen the understanding of the relationship between education, wellbeing, character formation and national development. He challenged other professors to emulate the lecturer who is the first amongst the first set of promoted Professors in 2024 at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai.

He said the topic: Educational Psychology Beyond the Classroom: Promoting Well-being, Character Formation and National Development is timely and appropriate, adding that a nation’s progress depends substantially on the quality of its human capital and the capacity of its citizens to innovate, collaborate and respond constructively to emerging challenges