Despite an estimated 15,000 deaths annually, attempted suicide in the country is still criminalised
As the world marks the 2025 World Suicide Prevention Day, Nigeria confronts a suicide crisis that remains largely hidden behind stigma and silence.
Despite an estimated 15,000 deaths annually, attempted suicide in the country is still criminalised, worsening fear and discouraging people in distress from seeking help.
According to Lifeline International, Nigeria is among the few nations where survivors of suicide attempts may face imprisonment under Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code.
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These laws, dating back to the colonial era, criminalise what is often a desperate cry for help.
PREMIUM TIMES has, over the years, reported several such cases.
In one instance, police arrested a man in Abuja after he allegedly attempted suicide by climbing a radio mast.
This case highlights how, instead of being offered psychological support, individuals in crisis risk prosecution under existing laws.
Nigeria ranks sixth globally
A Professor of Psychiatry at Obafemi Awolowo University and Consultant Psychiatrist at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Adesanmi Akinsulore, has revealed that Nigeria ranks sixth globally among countries with the highest suicide rates.
Mr Akinsulore explained that while men account for nearly 79 per cent of suicides, women are more likely to struggle with suicidal thoughts.
He stressed the urgent need for collaborative action, particularly among young people and students, where the problem is most acute.
His warning reflects a wide pattern. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that suicide is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15-29 worldwide, highlighting the vulnerability of youth to social pressures, mental health struggles, and economic hardship.
A silent burden in Nigeria
The real scale of the problem is believed to be far higher than reported. Fear of prosecution and entrenched social stigma mean many cases go unrecorded.
According to the Lifeline International report, which cited the WHO, for every person who dies by suicide, at least 20 others make an attempt.
In Nigeria, this translates to more than 300,000 people in suicidal distress each year, many of whom are left without safe avenues to seek help.
The impact is not limited to individuals. For every life lost, at least six others, relatives, friends or colleagues, struggle with the emotional and psychological aftermath.
In Nigeria, that means close to half a million people require psychosocial support annually, underscoring the ripple effect of suicide on society.
Suicide as a global health emergency
Globally, suicide claims more than 720,000 lives each year, with nearly three-quarters of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
WHO points out that while depression and alcohol use disorders are established risk factors, many suicides happen impulsively during moments of crisis, triggered by relationship disputes, financial problems, chronic illness or violence.
Certain groups face heightened vulnerability, including refugees, prisoners, migrants, indigenous peoples and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals.
WHO stressed that suicide must be treated as a serious public health problem requiring a coordinated response across multiple sectors.
The health body also emphasised that most suicides are preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions, including restricting access to means of suicide, fostering life skills in young people, promoting responsible media reporting and ensuring early support for those at risk.
WHO and IASP intervention
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day 2025, WHO and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) have renewed calls for urgent action on the global suicide crisis.
Both organisations noted that open conversations about suicide and mental health are essential in creating societies where individuals feel safe to seek help.
While suicide affects every region, the WHO reports that in its South-East Asia Region alone, more than 200,000 people die by suicide each year, making it one of the leading causes of death across age groups and genders.
The agency emphasised that prevention is possible but demands a collective effort from governments, communities, and individuals alike.
IASP and WHO point to practical measures through the LIVE LIFE initiative, which encourages countries to restrict access to common means of suicide, promote responsible media reporting, build socio-emotional skills in young people, and strengthen early identification and support systems for people at risk.
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These measures are reinforced by broader strategies such as awareness campaigns, multi-sectoral collaboration, improved financing and regular monitoring.
In their joint message, the organisations urged communities to take simple but meaningful steps, listening without judgement, showing compassion and offering support, as part of wider national strategies.
They stressed that suicide is not inevitable but preventable, and that preventing it requires societies where people feel valued, connected and supported.
World Suicide Prevention Day
World Suicide Prevention Day was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) in partnership with WHO.
Observed annually on 10 September, it seeks to unite communities, governments and organisations under the shared belief that suicide is preventable.
The triennial theme for 2024-2026 is "Changing the Narrative on Suicide."
The campaign urged societies to challenge myths, break stigma and create safe spaces for compassion and dialogue.
It also called on governments to make suicide prevention and mental health care a priority in public policy.
