Report Of Activities

Visit to Head of Service: Based on a call from the National President for all chapters to visit the Heads of Service in each state towards the pursuant of the Psychological Bill. The Lagos State Head of Service was visited by members of the State Chapter.

Mobilization: Efforts have been made and it is still being made to mobilize members who reside in Lagos State into the State Chapter and most especially the Whatsapp platform. As at November when we had the last Congress, our number was 119 but presently we have 157 members and we still intend driving the mobilization.

NPA/NACP Psychological Intervention Administered to Survivors of the Ita-Faaji Building Collapse, Lagos Island:

Following the collapse of a two storey residential/school building at the Ita-Faaji area of Lagos Island on the 13th of March, 2019, the Lagos State Chapter of the Association on the 19th of March deemed it well within her purview of duties to the Lagos State citizens to mobilize her members especially clinical psychologists in a visit to the survivors of the traumatic event- that is both direct and indirect survivors. The team found that about 40% of these survivors visited had lost family members while 60% had severely injured survivors and had lost some family members too.

On visiting these survivors both at the hospital and their homes, the team comprising 11 members encountered people who were experiencing both physical and psychological pains. The physical pain came from the severe injuries sustained via the collapse which included head injuries; fractures to the ribs, legs, fingers and wrists, spine pierced by protruding rods among other injuries. At the first visit, the team administered grief counselling and offered to continue with grief therapy for those who required it as time went by. The injured were also counselled and the visit was well appreciated.

While the whole team was unable to return to the site of the incident, 4 members (Clinical Psychologists) of the association which included myself visited and continued with the follow-up intervention (twice or thrice weekly) up until April 9th 2019 when we decided that the survivors were relatively psychologically stable to continue with their lives at the Temporary residential camp where the Lagos State government housed them.

Limitations encountered:

Finance: Little to no funds available to provide these survivors with basic provisions which would have eased their discomfort after the traumatic incident. The limited funds also affected the welfare of the members who volunteered their time and resources to attend to these traumatized survivors.

Student Indexing: The chapter was visited by the NPA ICT officer on Tuesday, the 19th of March 2019. His first assignment was at the Lagos State University where 100 undergraduates and postgraduates were indexed. On completion of his tasks at LASU, he moved on to University of Lagos, Akoka on the 20th of March. He concluded the student indexing on the 21st of March with a figure of about 500 which included undergraduates and postgraduates. The welfare of the ICT officer was adequately cared for by the host Universities. The student indexing programme was satisfactorily supervised by the National Welfare Officer (Dr T.D.O. Adewuyi) and the Chapter Secretary (Oginni Oluronke).

Chapter Leadership: The chapter held her bye-election on the 20th of August at the Boardroom, Faculty of Social Sciences, Unilag, Akoka. The event was presided over by the BOT Chair, Prof. Olatunde Makanju. The following members emerged the executives of the Chapter:

Dr Alex. Igundunasse – Chairperson

Morakinyo Gabriel – Vice Chairperson

Oluronke Oginni – Secretary

Yemisi Benson – Assistant Secretary

Ojo Taiye E. – Financial Secretary

Nwonu-Ezeanya Immaculata – Treasurer

Nathaniel Ayodeji – P.R.O

Suleiman Tajudeen – Editor

Thank you.

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Dr Alex Igundunasse Oginni Oluronke I.

Chairperson