Nollywood actress and media personality Alex Unusual has urged Nigerian men to break free from the cultural expectations that discourage emotional expression.

Speaking at the close of Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, the former reality Tv star noted that many men remain unaware of mental health conversations or dismiss them as a sign of weakness.

Alex observed that emotional suppression has been passed down through generations and is now wrongly viewed as a core attribute of masculinity. She described how silence has become tradition and emotional restraint a measure of manhood. She also expressed concern that many men avoid mental health advocacy out of fear of being seen as unserious.

She maintained that true masculinity lies in the courage to confront pain rather than hide it. She called on men to become the generation that breaks the cycle of inherited emotional trauma, stressing that healing can be passed down just as pain has been.

She said:
"Silence became tradition, emotional suppression became discipline and proof of manhood."

"They wear their wounds like medals and call healing weakness."

"Nobody will really do it for you if you don't do it for yourself."

"Real masculinity isn't measured by how much pain you can hide. It's measured by how much truth you can face."

"If generations can inherit pain, they can also inherit healing. Someone has to be the first man in the family to choose."