The Institute of Stress Management Nigeria (ISM) has unveiled a nationwide community health outreach initiative designed to improve access to healthcare, promote stress management, and strengthen grassroots engagement through free medical services and public health education.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute, Dr. Fredrick Obidigwe, presented the initiative during a meeting with the Director General of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), Dr. Umar Tanko Yakasai, describing the programme as a people-centred approach that combines healthcare delivery with community development. “Healthcare must go beyond the walls of a clinic; it must reach people where they live, work, and struggle daily,” Obidigwe said, explaining that the Institute, a corporate body registered under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is mandated to establish health centres, train individuals and organisations on stress-related risk factors, and promote stress management through seminars, workshops, conferences, advocacy programmes, and other public enlightenment initiatives aimed at fostering a healthy and stress-free society. He explained that the proposed initiative would take healthcare services directly to communities through free medical consultations, stress management counselling, laboratory tests, eye care services, pharmaceutical support, and health education. “We are not just treating symptoms, we are addressing the total wellbeing of the Nigerian, body and mind,” he added, noting that the programme is designed to address the growing physical and psychological burden faced by many Nigerians while strengthening community participation through sustained engagement rather than one-off interventions. Obidigwe noted that the Institute intends to deploy multidisciplinary teams comprising doctors, pharmacists, optometrists, laboratory scientists, nurses, counsellors, and other healthcare professionals to underserved communities across the country, stressing that “our professionals are ready to serve without asking what it will cost the community, because the reward is in the impact.” He said the Institute would provide the professional manpower required for the outreach programmes at no cost, adding that its contribution would significantly reduce the operational cost of implementing the initiative. The ISM founder emphasised that beyond providing medical care, the programme would establish long-term relationships with beneficiaries through volunteer networks, follow-up visits, and continuous health education, creating stronger links between healthcare professionals and local communities. He explained that the model also seeks to work closely with traditional rulers, religious leaders, market associations, women and youth groups, and other community stakeholders to ensure wider participation and sustainability. “When you carry the traditional ruler, the market woman, and the youth leader along, you have already won half the battle for public trust,” Obidigwe said, maintaining that direct community engagement remains one of the most effective ways of building public trust and noting that citizens are more likely to respond positively to initiatives that visibly improve their well-being.
Responding, the Director General of the Tinubu Support Group, Dr. Umar Tanko Yakasai, commended the Institute for developing what he described as a comprehensive and well-articulated community engagement proposal. “This is the kind of grassroots thinking that builds lasting trust between government and the people,” Yakasai said. He advised the Institute to submit the presentation as a formal proposal, explaining that the organisation is currently collating strategic ideas and recommendations from stakeholders ahead of future campaign activities. He noted that the proposal would be documented alongside other submissions and reviewed when the appropriate campaign structures are fully constituted, adding that viable initiatives could subsequently be presented to relevant authorities and partners for possible implementation. “We encourage organisations like ISM to keep engaging communities directly, because that is where real impact and real trust are built,” Yakasai said, thanking the Institute for its commitment to community development and encouraging it to continue advancing initiatives that promote public health, grassroots participation, and national development.
