In 2018, Nigeria was ranked as one of the top five countries across the world that is suicide prone. According to a World Health Organization research, Nigeria placed fifth with 15, 000 suicides in every 100,000 suicides. Other countries in top five of the list were South Korea, Russia, India and Japan. In Nigeria, going by a poll conducted by NOIPolls Limited, sickness, poverty, motor accident, malnutrition and natural death are the leading causes of death in the country.
From every parts of the country, there have been reported cases of individuals who committed suicide or attempted to. In July last year, a depressed soldier serving in 2 Battalion of 21 Special Armoured Brigade Bama, Borno state shot and killed an officer.
Also, a 22 years old man, Daibo Toju Davies jumped into the lagoon on Third Mainland Bridge after he highlighted from an Uber Taxi on the pretense that he was suffering from stomach upset. In 2018, a driver attached to the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, committed suicide after jumping into the Lagoon from the same bridge. The corpse of one Alwell Orji, a medical doctor was also recovered three days after he plunged into the same lagoon.
In November last year, an undergraduate student of the Osun State University, Juba Philips reportedly drank a substance believed to be insecticide that eventually claimed his life. The 100-level student of Theatre Art of the school was found dead in a hostel room by his friends. He had at various times posted suicide messages on social media prior to the unfortunate incident.
These are few of the many suicides cases that resulted from depression in Nigeria. The restriction of movement and lockdown imposed by the government in major parts of last year also caused a surge in the rate of depression and eventual suicides in the country. A behavioral change therapist, Rinret Gofwan advised that mental health practitioners should adopt the use of technology and phone calls to manage their clients especially in the face of looming lockdown and restriction of movement in various parts of the country.
There is therefore the urgent need for the government to focus on the provision of basic needs of the people. With the current spate of the economy in recession, livelihood of most Nigerians would be adversely affected. The need to put in place practical solution to cushion the impact of the economic downturn is a matter of urgency while the government works on reviving the economy.
According to a recent report, only 10% of mentally ill Nigerians have access to a psychiatrist or health worker. The government at both the Federal and state levels need to direct attention more on mental health issues as part of basic health provision in public hospitals.
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