NIGERIA witnessed a surge in suicide cases in recent years and the spate has left many in shock as concerns are raised over the state of mental health in the country. It could be observed that many of the victims are young people and the reasons for the suicide are linked to the worsening economic situation.

TO establish this claim, the Nigerian media is awash with unsettling cases of people taking their lives. As the economy of the nation continues to nosedive, leading many to depression and  suicidal thoughts. In 2024, a popular petroleum product dealer, Sesan Adelabu, popularly known as Emirate, allegedly committed suicide by drinking a poisonous substance, suspected to be an insecticide, after mutilating his wife, Bolu Adelabu,  with a cutlass in their residence at Alagbaka GRA area of the city; an act which caused her death.

A report also emerged about a man who was allegedly protesting the seizure of his commercial tricycle by Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) and in the process hung himself on the premises of the agency in Ikorodu.

OTHER  cases include a Warri-based lady who jumped from a flyover, a marketing employee who allegedly committed suicide due to economic hardship, and a 17-year old boy who reportedly took his own life after being accused of stealing.

 AN Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, operative, and a Deputy Commissioner of Police reportedly committed suicide in Abuja and Oyo State, respectively.

The former Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Konga, one of Nigeria’s e-commerce giants, Mr. Nick Imudia, on June 25, 2024, allegedly committed suicide in his home. According to reports, Imudia, who was until his death the CEO of D.light, allegedly jumped from the balcony of his Lekki, Lagos apartment.

Similarly, Amarachi Ugochukwu, a marketing employee of a bank in Ikorodu, Lagos, reportedly committed suicide due to economic hardship.

ACCORDING to a Professor and Consultant Psychiatrist at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Prof. Adesanmi Akinsulore, Nigeria ranks sixth globally among countries with the highest suicide rates with men accounting for 79 percent of suicides.

FURTHER statistical data show that suicide mortality rate (per 100,000 population) in Nigeria was reported at 4.99 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. While the National Institute of Health, through figures available to it, hints that Nigeria’s suicide rate of 17.3 per 100,000 stands above the global 10.5 per 100,000 and that of Africa’s 12.0 per 100, 000.

IN  other to nip in the bud the growing rate of suicide in the country, The Hope calls for collaborative efforts to address the issue.

THE  rate of suicide in Nigeria demands for urgent action to address the root causes of the crisis.

IT is high time that the government invested in mental health services, create jobs, and implement policies that will cushion the effects of poverty in the country.

WE, therefore, call on all concerned

stakeholders to rise to the huge responsibility of making life worth living for the citizenry to arrest the worsening situation.

WE  need to create a support system for those struggling with mental health issues and economic hardship.

BEYOND paying lip service, the government must take urgent action to address this crisis. Mental health resources, such as counselling services and hotlines must be made available to all citizens. Jobs must be created, and policies implemented to reduce poverty and economic hardship.

IT is clear from all indications that economic hardship and the rising insecurity in several parts of the country are major factors responsible. The government should also embark on the decriminalization of suicide in Nigeria, as the current legal framework exacerbates mental health issues and hinders prevention efforts because section 327 of the Nigeria Criminal Code Act and Section 231 of the Penal Code discourage individuals from seeking help due to fear of imprisonment.

IT is disheartening that Nigeria, with a population exceeding 200 million, suffers from a severe shortage of mental health professionals and we fear that efforts to reduce the suicide rate by 15 percent by 2030 will be insufficient without decriminalizing suicide.

IN addition, improving the economy and fighting insecurity to a standstill will contribute largely to achieving this feat.

WE want to emphasise that mental well-being is crucial for a thriving society and abolishing such obsolete laws that have existed since colonial period, will promote help-seeking behaviour, without any fear. It will ensure that when people are struggling with suicidal thoughts, they will speak up and likely seek help. The Hope urges religious organisations to reduce prosperity sermons that will make struggling people feel inadequate. They should  tailor their sermons towards encouraging the poor so that people going through depression will find solace in their teachings.